Tower Hamlets covers some of London's most active rights of light territory: the Canary Wharf and Isle of Dogs tall building cluster, City fringe development along Bishopsgate and Whitechapel, Victorian terraces across Stepney and Bethnal Green, and post-war estates. Most older stock carries windows that have received natural light well beyond the 20-year easement threshold under the Prescription Act 1832, which means tall building schemes, mid-rise residential blocks, and significant infill all routinely raise rights of light questions. London Borough of Tower Hamlets planning consent does not address that legal position.
We act on Tower Hamlets schemes from the London head office, with reach across Whitechapel, Bethnal Green, and the Isle of Dogs, supported by colleagues in Essex and Hampshire. CHP is RICS regulated and has been advising on rights of light since 2004. The London team handles this work with specialist focus, and where matters overlap with the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 we run party wall services from the same team.
Every Tower Hamlets project starts with a free initial assessment of the proposed scheme. We identify which neighbouring windows are likely to carry the 20-year easement and the points of the proposed massing most likely to cause an issue. A full rights of light analysis follows using specialist software, with existing and proposed light levels modelled and tested against the Equivalent First Zone and the 50/50 rule for each affected room.
Where modelling shows likely infringement, the cutback analysis tests design variations including reduced height, set-back upper floors, and adjusted fenestration until the scheme works for both the planning case and the rights of light position. For Tower Hamlets that typically means Canary Wharf and Isle of Dogs tall building schemes, City fringe mixed-use redevelopment, and mid-rise residential blocks. Most schemes also call for daylight and sunlight reports as part of the same London Borough of Tower Hamlets planning submission.
Resolving rights of light at the design stage protects the viability of a Tower Hamlets scheme, reduces risk on the London Borough of Tower Hamlets planning application, and avoids disputes with neighbouring owners once construction starts. Planning consent does not extinguish a legal right to light, so an adjoining owner can still pursue an injunction or damages even after the development has been approved. On large Canary Wharf-area schemes, those figures can be substantial. Quantifying the position early lets the design team adjust massing, height, or setbacks before drawings are signed off.
Where settlement is the right outcome, we negotiate a release of rights with the adjoining owner and structure the deal so the development can proceed cleanly. Where rooftop or upper-floor work is in play, we can also bring in airspace development advice from the same team.
