Question: What is a Lux Plan?
Answer: A Lux Plan is a lighting design drawing that shows the calculated illuminance levels, measured in lux, across an area produced by a proposed lighting installation. It typically shows lux contours or a grid of values across the site or room, together with the luminaire positions, mounting heights and types.
Lux plans are used to demonstrate that a lighting scheme achieves the required light levels for its purpose while limiting light spill, obtrusive light and energy use. They are commonly submitted to support planning applications, discharge planning conditions, satisfy BREEAM requirements and demonstrate compliance with British Standards.
Question: When is a Lux Plan required for planning?
Answer: Local Planning Authorities frequently require external lighting details and lux plans for:
- Car parks, service yards and access roads
- Sports pitches, MUGAs and floodlit facilities
- Industrial and logistics developments
- Retail parks and petrol filling stations
- Schools and healthcare sites
- Developments near residential properties, ecological sites or dark sky areas
- Discharge of planning conditions relating to external lighting
Planning officers use lux plans to check that lighting is adequate for safety and security while avoiding nuisance to neighbours and harm to wildlife.
Question: What standards apply to lux plans and lighting design?
Answer: Lighting designs are prepared in accordance with:
- BS 5489-1 for road and amenity lighting
- BS EN 12464-2 for outdoor workplaces
- BS EN 12464-1 for indoor workplaces
- BS EN 12193 for sports lighting
- Institution of Lighting Professionals (ILP) Guidance Note GN01 on obtrusive light
- Society of Light and Lighting (SLL) Code for Lighting
- Building Regulations Part L for lighting efficiency
The lux plan shows average, minimum and uniformity values against the relevant standard.
Question: How is a Lux Plan produced?
Answer: Lux plans are produced using lighting design software such as DIALux or Relux, using photometric data for the proposed luminaires. The designer models the site, positions the luminaires and calculates the horizontal and vertical illuminance and, where required, light spill at the boundary and at neighbouring windows. The results are presented as a scaled drawing with contour lines or a calculation grid.
Question: What is light spill and how is it controlled?
Answer: Light spill is light that falls outside the area intended to be lit, causing nuisance to residents, harm to bats and other wildlife, and wasted energy. It is controlled by selecting luminaires with appropriate optics and cut-off, mounting at suitable heights and angles, using shields and louvres, and switching or dimming lighting when not required. Lux plans demonstrate that spill at sensitive boundaries is within ILP limits for the environmental zone.
Question: Do lux plans consider ecology?
Answer: Yes. Where bats, badgers or other light-sensitive species are present, ecologists typically require lighting to be minimised along commuting corridors, roost access points and foraging habitat. Lux plans are used to demonstrate that light levels in these areas remain below thresholds such as 0.5 lux or 1 lux, in line with the Bat Conservation Trust and ILP Guidance Note GN08 on bats and artificial lighting.
Question: Why choose Syntegra Group for a Lux Plan?
Answer: Syntegra Group's lighting designers and electrical engineers produce lux plans and external lighting designs for planning applications, condition discharge and detailed design across the UK. We design schemes that meet the required British Standards for safety and security while minimising obtrusive light, energy consumption and ecological impact.
As part of our multidisciplinary practice, lux plans are coordinated with our ecology, lighting impact assessment and electrical design services so that a single, consistent lighting strategy is submitted to the planning authority.
