Policy information sourced from the Guildford Local Plan: Develpment Managment Policies

D12: Light Impacts and Dark Skies

Development proposals are required to be designed to minimise obtrusive light (light pollution) and the adverse impacts of obtrusive light on sensitive receptors. Consideration must be given to potential adverse impacts on privacy, amenity, and the natural environment, including wildlife, sensitive habitats, and sites designated for their nature conservation value.

Proposals for light-generating development, or proposals for light-sensitive development that are likely to be affected by existing artificial lighting, are required to submit a Light Impact Assessment as part of the planning application. Light Impact Assessments are required to clearly detail any potential significant adverse impacts that artificial lighting may have on privacy, amenity, and the natural environment, including wildlife, sensitive habitats and sites designated for their nature conservation value

Where potential significant adverse impacts from artificial lighting have been identified, Light Impact Assessments are required to detail the appropriate avoidance and mitigation measures that will be implemented to prevent, avoid and/or mitigate those impacts.

Proposals for light-generating development are required to prevent and/or avoid unacceptable light spillage into natural terrestrial and aquatic habitats, or their buffer zones.

Where there will be an unacceptable adverse impact on sensitive receptors which cannot be avoided and/or adequately mitigated, the planning application will be refused.

Dark Skies

In more remote locations of the Surrey Hills AONB, with darker skies, development proposals that cause light pollution will be resisted.

For more information please see the Local Plan