Removing internal walls

UK007BullDog

I would like to know if I would need planning permission to have an internal wall removed which is not weight bearing. The walls sound hollow when knocking against it as it is made from some sort of lightweight boarding material. The weight bearing walls are the outside walls which support the whole building. The plan is to open up the complete lower floor and make two rooms into one.

The internal garage (one room) was converted many years ago before we bought the property into a playroom/dining room. And we got the permission from the council to keep it like that when we bought the property. The other room is the kitchen and we would like to remove the walls between the two rooms to bring more light into the dining room and also make it more family friendly.

Many people in the neighborhood have done the same without permission from what I have seen but I would like to make sure this is OK with the council. What do I have to do? Cost is a factor and I am not sure if I need to present plans if at all? Would it be sufficient if someone came out to have a look first of all to see if I need planning permission?

Thanks for any advice.

EliteHeat

You won't need planning permission but you do need to adhere to building regulations.

It sounds like a stud wall. Try pushing a screwdriver or a knife into it. If it goes through it's probably not load bearing!

real1314

But make sure where you're pushing the driver through is not in line (vertically or horizontally) with any electrical fittings on either side of the wall to a width of 500mm.

Better still, get a wire/stud detector. And wear wellies :eek:

UK007BullDog

Well been trying to call the council but no luck so far. They must be quite busy or understaffed. maybe more luck today.

Thanks.

zebidee1

EliteHeat wrote: »

You won't need planning permission but you do need to adhere to building regulations.

It sounds like a stud wall. Try pushing a screwdriver or a knife into it. If it goes through it's probably not load bearing!

I know you said probably, but this really isn't a good test of what is structural and what isn't. It depends on the way in which the house was built, and what with.

My whole house is supported with plasterboard/stud wall partitions and I could go round every one and poke a big hole in it, not one brick wall in sight (apart from the outside walls of course).

We are in the middle of doing the same thing and had to apply for building regs approval to remove a stud wall that's non structural as well as permission to move the boiler.

How sure are you that the walls you want to remove are not structural? If you're just going by what the neighbours have done, then be careful. Our neighbours (plural - 3 in a row) removed a partition wall between their living room and dining area as it opened up their space and they all liked each other's living rooms better that way. When one of them became ill and had to have disability aids installed, the surveyor came out and nearly condemmed the whole row. Seems the houses could have caved in and they were lucky they hadn't even although they'd been like that for 2 or 3 years.

UK007BullDog

Managed to speak to a few council people and they asked me how thick the wall is and it is not even as thick as the wooden door frame so they recon it is OK for us to remove the walls. They are not even interested to knowing what we are doing inside the properties. My neighbors had their walls out for more than 8 years with lots of teenagers running round in the houses and they are still standing. So I am very glad that we will go ahead and knock out the walls in a couple of months time.

They also told me I can have a conservatory if less than 35M2 space with seperate lockable doors from the main building, without planning permission. So if any money left at the end of the renovating I might be lucky enough to get one, with underfloor heating.