The State Planning Department in conjunction with the City of Melbourne has development Planning Practice Note 96 which provides guidance on the impacts of glare and reflectivity. The practice note provides guidance about the planning considerations for reflected sunlight glare in the built environment.
There are a number of provisions in zone and overlay controls in many of Victoria’s Planning Schemes which seek to minimise sunlight glare from new development. The practice note provides guidance on the implementation and assessment of these provisions and outlines the following of interest:
- The risk of reflected glare is generally greater for buildings over 4 storeys in height.
- There are two forms of reflected glare to consider: Discomfort Glare (temporary vision sensation that generally does not present health and safety risks) and Disability Glare (affects contrast in vision to reduce overall visibility which can present health and safety risks).
- Glass is the key source of reflected glare, other contributors being polished cladding and linished (satin finish) stainless steel. Painted matte or smooth finishes can still cause glare but are generally less intense than glass or steel.
- A Reflected Glare Assessment may be required for planning permit applications, usually prepared by a lighting, building façade or sustainability specialist with input from other disciplines. The practice note advises that such an assessment will be required where:
- Development is located in a dense urban area or viewed from rail corridors or main roads and is four storeys or higher.
- Glossy surface finishes, including linished stainless steel or glass, with more than 15 per cent specular light reflectance at normal incidence are proposed.
- Tilted (facing upwards) surfaces with glass and/or reflective façade finishes are proposed.
- Glass and/or reflective façade finishes with concave curvature or faceting are proposed.
- Other similar circumstances where reflected glare risks may arise from the proposed building siting and design.
A copy of the Practice note PPN96 can be found online at the following link: https://www.planning.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/word_doc/0027/612927/PPN96-Glare-Reflectivity_Dec-2022.docx
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