Utility - planning and building control needed for this plan?

[dormermike]

Hi

I have a small 1.8m X 2m downstairs room which currently houses the consumer units, incoming gas main, boiler, alarm system, and incoming water main, and drainage pipes for the downstairs bathroom which is adjacent.

Its a sort of L shape at the moment as the adjacent bathroom borrows space for a shower enclosure which is brick built, approx 1m x 1m, bounded by external wall on the bathroom side.

I plan to take the brick enclosure down and "square off" the utility room so I can add some units, a new boiler and cylinder (or combi), and a stacked washer/dryer.

I need to check if the brick shower enclosure is structural but as it's a downstairs room of a bungalow with nothing above it, I think it's ok.

Does any of this need building control or planning approval? It's not strictly change of use, as all we are really doing is removing a wall and putting a washing machine and dryer into a room which already has plumbing etc in it.

See attached diagram showing the bathroom enclosure I want to remove, basically to square off both rooms.

Thanks

 

[dormermike]

Sorry if it's a daft or obvious question

Also I did wonder that whilst it may not be structural could it be providing some support to that external wall?

 

[robinbanks]

Does any of this need building control or planning approval? It's not strictly change of use

Change of use relates to what you do with an entire building, such as turning a shop into a house

, as all we are really doing is removing a wall and putting a washing machine and dryer into a room which already has plumbing etc in it.

Sounds like it will be fine, crack on

Also I did wonder that whilst it may not be structural could it be providing some support to that external wall?

I doubt the external wall needs that buttress, but check above that there is nothing bearing on it from the roof structure. Nothing stopping you putting the replacement in in equivalent, tied-in masonry, just a metre away

 

[dormermike]

Thank you.

It'll be a small utility room but it's cheaper than the 40k we've been quoted for a not much larger external one.

 

[robinbanks]

Fark, that's excessive

 

[^woody^]

Internal walls don't support (ie butress) external walls in domestic buildings.