Policy information sourced from the Guildford Local Plan: Develpment Managment Policies
D5: Protection of Amenity and Provision of Amenity Space
Protection of amenity
Development proposals are required to avoid having an unacceptable impact on the living environment of existing residential properties or resulting in unacceptable living conditions for new residential properties, in terms of:
- Privacy and overlooking
- Visual dominance and overbearing effects of a development
- Access to sunlight and daylight
- Artificial lighting
- Noise and vibration
- Odour, fumes and dust
Provision of amenity space
All new build residential development proposals, including flatted development, are expected to have direct access to an area of private outdoor amenity space. In providing appropriate outdoor amenity space, both private and shared, development proposals are required to:
- take into account the orientation of the amenity space in relation to the sun at different times of the year;
- address issues of overlooking and enclosure, which may otherwise impact unacceptably on the proposed property and any neighbouring properties; and
- design the amenity space to be of a shape, size and location to allow effective and practical use of the space by residents.
All balconies or terraces provided on new flatted development proposals are required to be:
- designed as an integrated part of the overall design; and
- a minimum of 4sqm.
Development proposals are required to have regard to relevant national and local design guidance or codes, including in relation to garden sizes and residential building separation distances.
For more information please see the Local Plan