Section 38 Lighting Design
Woodford Garden Village
Highway lighting design for a major residential regeneration scheme, coordinating new streets and public spaces.
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Lighting consultancy
Street lighting design & highway lighting consultancy
Street and highway lighting design for developers, civil engineering consultants, contractors and local authorities across the UK. HDS brings lighting calculations, coordinated layouts and electrical design together for new streets and changes to existing roads.
From layout to technical submission
A lighting design that fits the whole scheme.
A workable street lighting scheme needs more than a calculation that meets a target. Columns must fit around junctions, footways, driveways, trees and utilities. The electrical supply, maintenance arrangements and effects on neighbouring properties also need to be considered.
HDS coordinates these requirements with your highways and development team, from the initial brief through detailed design and technical responses within the agreed scope.
New streets and residential developments
For roads intended for adoption, we develop the lighting around the proposed highway layout and the local authority’s requirements. Early coordination helps identify conflicts before column positions and other infrastructure are fixed. Explore our Section 38 lighting design service.
Changes to existing highways
A new access, widened junction or altered crossing can affect existing lighting and electrical infrastructure. We assess the interface between retained and proposed equipment and coordinate the lighting with the wider scheme. See our Section 278 lighting design service.
Private roads and external routes
Where roads and paths remain privately maintained, the design must reflect their use, ownership and operating requirements. We can coordinate these areas with adjoining adoptable highways and the wider private exterior lighting design.
How we approach your project
Resolve the constraints.
Coordinate the design.
- 01 / Establish
Agree the requirements.
Review the site layout, road users, existing assets and authority comments. Confirm the design criteria, interfaces and information needed from the wider team.
- 02 / Calculate
Develop the lighting.
Assess the appropriate lighting classes and model the proposed arrangement. Consider equipment, column positions, uniformity and glare alongside the site constraints.
- 03 / Coordinate
Make the layout work.
Check interfaces with access points, landscaping, utilities and electrical infrastructure. Identify where further survey information or specialist input is required.
- 04 / Support
Prepare for review.
Issue the agreed drawings and calculations, explain the design decisions and respond to technical comments through the commissioned review stages.
Standards, authority requirements and environmental considerations
The design brief establishes the applicable requirements, which may include BS 5489-1, relevant parts of BS EN 13201 and the approving authority’s lighting specification. Lighting classes and equipment are selected for the scheme; there is no single layout or light level suitable for every road.
Where nearby homes, ecological receptors or planning conditions require further assessment, we coordinate with the relevant specialists and define the need for a lighting impact assessment. Read our introduction to lighting classes and calculations.
Design approval and adoption remain decisions for the relevant authority. HDS provides the agreed design information and technical support; approval is not guaranteed.
Relevant HDS experience
New streets. Existing infrastructure.
Two different settings, each requiring lighting to be coordinated with the wider highway design.
Section 278 Lighting Design
Tarbock Island M62
Lighting and underground electrical design for the widening of Tarbock Island on the M62.
Before you commission a design
Street lighting design: your questions.
When should we bring HDS into the project?
Ideally while the highway layout, landscape design and utility routes are still being coordinated. This gives the team more opportunity to resolve column positions, supply arrangements and sensitive boundaries before the design becomes difficult to change.
Can you review an existing lighting design?
Yes. Send the current layouts, calculations, specifications and outstanding comments. We can discuss a focused review or a wider design commission, depending on the condition of the information and the decisions still required.
What is the difference between Section 38 and Section 278 lighting?
Section 38 lighting typically relates to new roads intended for adoption. Section 278 lighting relates to works affecting an existing public highway. The design and submission requirements depend on the scheme and the relevant highway authority.
How much does street lighting design cost?
The fee depends on the scheme’s extent, available survey information, calculation requirements, electrical scope and review stages. Send the site layout, location and programme so we can define the work and provide a project-specific quotation.
Can you work to our programme?
Include the required submission date, project stage and any approval milestones with your enquiry. We will review the scope and available information before confirming a delivery programme. Authority review periods sit outside HDS’s direct control.
Start with your scheme
Send your drawings.
Let’s define the work.
Tell us where the project is, what stage it has reached and what you need to submit. We will review the brief and identify the appropriate design scope.
Useful information for a quotation
- The latest highway or site layout, with the project location.
- Existing lighting records or survey information, where available.
- Authority comments, planning conditions and relevant specifications.
- The required deliverables, submission date and main project contacts.
If information is missing, tell us what is available and we can discuss the next step. Use the form to attach a drawing or include a secure sharing link.
Prefer email? info@hdslighting.com
Let’s define the next step
What does your
project need?
Design advice, an assessment or a product quotation.
Start with the details you have.