MBS Survey Software Ltd

Waldram Tools

Waldram Tools is an application which runs inside of an AutoCAD environment designed to process calculations which cover two areas; daylight and sunlight analysis and right of light. These two areas cover a niche market provided by planners, architects and developers. However both areas have one thing in common - the 3D CAD Model.

The software allows analysis of the above areas by running calculations from a 3D CAD model based on scenarios the planner, architect or developer provides e.g. what would the impact be if my building was "X" metres high?

The process for both daylight and sunlight analysis and rights of light involves 3 stages:-

Stage 1 : Collecting the required data.
This has been traditionally undertaken as a desktop exercise whereby information has been pulled together from various sources such as archive photos, existing plans, Ordnance Survey data etc. Today, it is possible to collect the data from the site itself in a very cost effective, but more importantly, accurate way using MBS Elevations and a Land Surveyor.

Our software allows real-time data capture of raw wire-frame information in its true co-ordinate location as a skeleton frame on which to build the 3D CAD model. It follows that the model would accurately represent what was actually on the ground at the time of the survey as oppose to inaccurate interpretation from existing out-of-date documentation and photographs.

Stage 2 : Building the 3D CAD model.
The model can then be worked up from real data within an AutoCAD environment. It should be noted that a good knowledge of 3D AutoCAD is essential and MBS Software are currently formulating a relevant training agenda to address this potential issue. The level of detail required in the model is actually quite small as the only detail of importance is the mass of all the buildings involved and the structural window openings that need to be included in the calculations. Of equal importance is the true 3D location of all the buildings and openings in relation to themselves and the site - that's the skill of the Land Surveyor!

Stage 3 : Providing the results.
Waldram Tools has been developed to provide the means in which to run calculations on the 3D model and present the results both graphically by way of a Waldram Diagram (in the case of daylight and sunlight analysis) and as a contoured plan for Rights of Light and in a tabular form as Excel spread sheets. The Rights of light excel output takes the form of an EFZ (Effective Front Zone) table.

Daylight & Sunlight Analysis.

Recommendations for light levels in new buildings and surrounding properties are provided by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) within a document called "Site Layout Planning for Daylight and Sunlight - A Guide to Good Practice', 1991 by P J Littlefair. As many local authorities have adopted this guide, then these recommendations provide a foundation upon which planning permission is granted, or refused, in the UK.

Rights of Light

What is a Right to Light? According to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS):

"A right to light may be acquired by 'anyone who has had uninterrupted use of something over someone else's land for 20 years without consent, openly and without threat, and without interruption of more than a year.' If a new development reduces the level of light to a window over 20 years old below a certain minimum, the window's owner is entitled to legal remedy, unless the right has been waived by express agreement. Depending on the extent of the injury, this can range from the award of compensation, through cutting back the development, to court injunction to stop the development altogether."

It should be noted that developments with planning permission can still be opposed on the grounds of rights of light, presenting additional risk for developers, with courts generally upholding the rights of residential owners more than commercial developers. It is therefore imperative that rights to light studies are undertaken on all new builds which could impact significantly enough to cause an infringement on surrounding properties.

The crucial question to ask is as a developer would you not want to know if the proposed development caused a problem at design stage as opposed to halfway through the construction process?

The Software

The software has been under development for a number of years and is now commercially available. If you require any more information the please contact us.