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planning permission needed to move bathroom?

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  • The 'Building Regulations- Explanatory Booklet' available as a download form my local council website (though currently out of print so may not be current) states that Building Control need to be involved if Building Works are to be undertaken

    BUILDING REGULATIONS?
    3.1 ‘Building Work’ is defined in Regulation 3 of the Building
    Regulations. The definition means that the following types of
    project amount to ‘Building Work’:
    l the erection or extension of a building;
    l the installation or extension of a service or fitting which is
    controlled under the regulations;
    l an alteration project involving work which will temporarily
    or permanently affect the ongoing compliance of the building,
    service or fitting with the requirements relating to structure,
    fire, or access to and use of buildings;
    l the insertion of insulation into a cavity wall; and
    l the underpinning of the foundations of a building.
    3.2 If whatever work your project involves amounts to ‘Building
    Work’ then it must comply with the Building Regulations. This
    means that if you want to:
    l put up a new building, or extend or alter an existing one
    (e.g. by converting a loft space into living space);
    l or provide services and/or fittings in a building such as:
    – washing and sanitary facilities (e.g. WCs, showers,
    washbasins, kitchen sinks, etc.),
    – hot water cylinders,
    – foul water and rainwater drainage,
    – replacement windows, and
    – fuel burning appliances of any type;
  • Yorkie1
    Yorkie1 Posts: 12,082 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    @ donningtonphil, I see that CWI is mentioned in that extract as requiring B Regs approval / sign-off. Is that still the case? I hadn't realised that.
  • What would be the implications of not bothering to tell the "authorities" ?
    And when i come to sell it just say that it was like that when i bought it?

    The main problem is that my council take 10 days to answer emails, so i dread to think how long they will actually take to come and look at the job!
    Factor in the Royal Weeding Bank holidays and it could be at least three weeks!

    My builders are ready to start work , and i really don't want to mess them around.
    Was a 40 a day smoker for 20 years.
    Decided to give up, and haven't had a fag for 12 years.
    Halfway through losing six stone.

    Looking forward to early retirement.
  • Yorkie1
    Yorkie1 Posts: 12,082 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    You will be committing fraud when you sign the property information form to that effect. And the buyer's solicitor will still want to see paperwork or require you to take out an indemnity policy if that is an option.

    For the sake of impatience, you're prepared to lie to any future buyer, your solicitor and their solicitor? Nice.
  • puddy
    puddy Posts: 12,709 Forumite
    we changed a kitchen sink when we moved in (in the utility room) did that need building regs?
  • Yorkie1 wrote: »
    You will be committing fraud when you sign the property information form to that effect. And the buyer's solicitor will still want to see paperwork or require you to take out an indemnity policy if that is an option.

    For the sake of impatience, you're prepared to lie to any future buyer, your solicitor and their solicitor? Nice.

    I didn't say i was going to do it! I was just wondering what the implications would be.

    Which bit would be fraud? Having never sold a house i don't know what i would have to sign?
    Surely everybody will have had some form of DIY carried out on their house without worrying about what happens when the house is put up for sale.
    And who would know the history of all work having been done on their house by all previous onwers.

    If all work is done safely. and to recommended standards it's not really crime of the century,

    The toliet was originally outside, but there wasn't any paperwork to say that a bathroom had been constucted off of the kitchen, it was just there!

    My solicitor didn't ask to see the "paperwork" for this bathroom that was "created" years ago as there would have been any!

    I wonder how many people who DIY really bother to call the council in and pay £250+ each time they decide to change something or upgrade their house.

    I'm surprised every housebuyer doesn't get indemnity insurance for each house purchased.

    I'll call the council on Tuesday and see if i can get anyone to pick up, but seriously, ten days to answer an email!

    To anyone who has actually been through the process do i have to pay for each "alteration i wish to make?
    If so, should i just list everything i "might" want to do over the course of the ten+ years i hope to live there on the one form and just pay the fee once?
    Was a 40 a day smoker for 20 years.
    Decided to give up, and haven't had a fag for 12 years.
    Halfway through losing six stone.

    Looking forward to early retirement.
  • macman
    macman Posts: 53,129 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    I didn't say i was going to do it! I was just wondering what the implications would be.

    Which bit would be fraud? Having never sold a house i don't know what i would have to sign?
    Surely everybody will have had some form of DIY carried out on their house without worrying about what happens when the house is put up for sale.
    And who would know the history of all work having been done on their house by all previous onwers.

    If all work is done safely. and to recommended standards it's not really crime of the century,

    The toliet was originally outside, but there wasn't any paperwork to say that a bathroom had been constucted off of the kitchen, it was just there!

    My solicitor didn't ask to see the "paperwork" for this bathroom that was "created" years ago as there would have been any!

    I wonder how many people who DIY really bother to call the council in and pay £250+ each time they decide to change something or upgrade their house.

    I'm surprised every housebuyer doesn't get indemnity insurance for each house purchased.

    I'll call the council on Tuesday and see if i can get anyone to pick up, but seriously, ten days to answer an email!

    To anyone who has actually been through the process do i have to pay for each "alteration i wish to make?
    If so, should i just list everything i "might" want to do over the course of the ten+ years i hope to live there on the one form and just pay the fee once?

    Exactly-so who is going to ensure that it is, if not Building Control?
    No free lunch, and no free laptop ;)
  • macman wrote: »
    Exactly-so who is going to ensure that it is, if not Building Control?

    My two brothers, both builders for the last 25 years!
    But as i said i will attempt to get in touch with the relevant authorities.

    But as to my comment ealier, ten days to answer an email, doesn't bode well for how long to actually do a site visit though does it?
    Was a 40 a day smoker for 20 years.
    Decided to give up, and haven't had a fag for 12 years.
    Halfway through losing six stone.

    Looking forward to early retirement.
  • partan
    partan Posts: 152 Forumite
    dont know if its the same in england as in scotland, but im doing some major mods to my house just now including adding an upstairs bathroom. I wanted to change the existing downstairs bathroom to a WC & utility, BUT if i made any modifications to the bathroom, it would have to remain as a bathroom AND become disabled friendly.
  • partan wrote: »
    dont know if its the same in england as in scotland, but im doing some major mods to my house just now including adding an upstairs bathroom. I wanted to change the existing downstairs bathroom to a WC & utility, BUT if i made any modifications to the bathroom, it would have to remain as a bathroom AND become disabled friendly.

    Hmmm,
    That's a bit confusing, as that's similar to what i want to do.

    The downstairs bathroom has been made (years ago) by creating a partition off the kitchen (but accessed by a door in the hallway)

    I want to remove the partition and open up the kitchen, then shift the bathroom upstairs and move the remaining downstairs loo via 180degrees and have it accessed via a utlility room (which is down a step and so not disabled friendly)

    The area i've bought in has a really high percentage of downstairs bathrooms, in the houses i viewed about 80% of them have moved the bathroom upstairs and left downstairs loo's only, what you've been told sounds like they are all "illegal" ......!
    Was a 40 a day smoker for 20 years.
    Decided to give up, and haven't had a fag for 12 years.
    Halfway through losing six stone.

    Looking forward to early retirement.
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