Is buildings regulation approval and/or planning permission needed for the following:

[Stephen]

for the following 3 scenarios:

A serving hatch between a kitchen and a dining room to be opened up into a proper door frame and door with a lintel installed? This is a single skin breeze block internal wall on a concrete floor that is plastered on both sides. Upstairs on this wall is a timber stud and partition wall. Above this is Fink Trusses and the stud and partition wall runs parallel to the trusses.

Bricking up an existing doorway between the kitchen and the utility room, and creating a new doorway 1.2metres further along the wall near to where it meets a double skin external wall. Again the wall is internal breeze block, plastered on both sides and on a concrete floor. All that is above it is some joists that form part of the bedroom floor above it.

Putting in a stud and partition wall in the utility room (smaking it smaller) to them permit an opening made beween the downstairs toilet and the now walled off part of the utility room to permit the installation of a shower in the downstairs cloakroom. This wall supports two landing floor joists only so again a lintel will be used.

[Peter Crosland]

Building regulations yes. Planning only needed if it is a listed building.

[Tim Watts]

In all cases, planning permission is not relevant, unless it;s a listed building.

That leaves building control:

On Monday 28 October 2013 21:43 Stephen wrote in uk.d-i-y:

Yes, building control needed - but it is[1] such a trivial job that it should be almost zero hassle. He's not going to ask for calculations - just stick a standard looking lintle in (concrete or steel, eg Catnic).

[1] unless your opening is under/next to an unusually concentrated load, eg the end of an RSJ. That type of scenario would be a lot more complicated.

Yours sounds uncomplicated, but bear in mind that we cannot see it - booking a BCO for the relatively modest fee will give you peace of mind because he will look at stuff.

As above.

Yes.

Technically drains work is involved (shower drain) but the BCO likely will not be too fussed about that.

It's all very easy - just estimate the professional cost of the work (this is used to determine the fee), fill out the Building Control form from your council's website and send it in.

BCOs are usually approachable so if you pop in you can ask before you do the paperwork.

Fancy plans are not needed for this type of job - just write it up.

Watch the non obvious stuff like:

a) Fire escapes - will your moving openings mess up escape routes?

b) Ventilation (for the shower area) (you'll almost certainly need an extractor fan);

Good luck