Is planning permisison required for en suite shower room?

[and1c]

ok guys.
My Dad wants to use maybe 1/6th of the size of a large double bedroom and partition it off as a seperate en suite with its own door etc (think travel lodge room layout if youve been unlucky enough to stay there!...and its pretty much the same!!)

As I will be doing the work for him I just wanted to confirm that this will require planning permission?

The en suite will have a shower, toilet and basin but no bath
Additionally, he wants a small 'blurred' glass window putting in (this would be in an external wall and neighbour has said its a non issue for her though it would overlook her garden slightly)

Looking at http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/england/genpub/en/1115315234996.html

it refers to needing planning for bathroom but due mainly to bath weight and possible floor support issues.

Can someone who knows just confirm that planning will definately be needed for this project, and any other issues I may have overlooked in our preliminary ideas.

thanks

 

[^woody^]

You're confusing planning permission with building regulations

You don't need planning permission for anything inside a house.

Nor for the window - unless there is an existing planning condition on the property which requires permission for any additional windows - but this is not that common.

You need building regulation approval for the formation of a new en-suite - mainly for the drainage and ventilation aspect and for the window, but other parts of the b/regs come into play too.

 

[Richard C]

Just doing one myself; you don’t normally need PP but if you’re putting in a new window, I would play safe & check with planning, particularly if the window is on the front aspect or overlooking a neighbour.

As woody says, you will need to comply with B regs. & have inspections where these apply; i.e. the new window opening & lintel installation, the window installation itself (unless done by a FENSA registered installer), waste runs & foul drain connections (soil stack or macerator), connection to the existing foul drainage system, electrics (unless you use a part P spark), ventilation & sound proofing to the walls of adjacent rooms if a W/C is involved.

 

[londonman]

Or if he's not thinking of selling for a very long time, just go ahead and do a decent job?

 

[Richard C]

Or if he's not thinking of selling for a very long time, just go ahead and do a decent job?

It's no more hassle to do a decent job, comply with the regs. & get it signed off. With HIPS, I don't think it's gonna be that easy anymore regardless of how long ago the work was done; no completion certificate could mean no sale & any non compliant work will have to be rectified first.

 

[londonman]

A fair point but if you follow your line of argument to its'logical conclusion then 95% of all old property in the country is non-compliant. But that won't necessarily stop a sale. If I was putting in an en-suite for myself and was going to stay in the property for the next 10 or so years then I'd probably go straight ahead and do it.

I'm not suggesting not doing a decent job but there IS more hassle. Especially if he's doing the work at weekends. There's going to be probably three visits from the BCO...and so that means he's going to have to take time off work on three separate days. I can understand the need for getting BCO involved with say an extension but putting a pragmatic hat on...for an en-suite?

 

[Richard C]

if you follow your line of argument to its'logical conclusion then 95% of all old property in the country is non-compliant. But that won't necessarily stop a sale.

Yes they will be non compliant with current BR’s & it won’t stop the sale but most will probably have conformed to whatever regs. were in force at the time or at a time when BR’s were just a small irritation you could ignore. Current regs. can’t be applied retrospectively unless your doing new work that affects or will be affected by it; it’s a right little hornets nest & there are all sorts of wrinkles buried in the latest regs. that can catch you out; it’s getting increasingly difficult to ignore them which is obviously the aim of the technical team at the ODPM.

I'm not suggesting not doing a decent job but there IS more hassle. Especially if he's doing the work at weekends. There's going to be probably three visits from the BCO...and so that means he's going to have to take time off work on three separate days. I can understand the need for getting BCO involved with say an extension but putting a pragmatic hat on...for an en-suite?

Doing lots of renovation work here over the last 2 years &, in my view, it’s generally not much more hassle to do it properly if you know the regs. & are aware of the pitfalls. I’ve had several inspections to date & they are bit more hassle but the BI’s can be very helpful & accommodating as long as you approach them in the right way. Currently doing an en-suite; new stack, foul drain, electrics, sound insulation; etc. but have not had any inspections on that yet but my plan is to cover most of it with one or two visits. If you have to take a couple of hours off work then that’s a part of it, it’s not valid reason for not doing it! I don’t like the burocratic way current legislation is growing at all & if I’d known how much things had changed since my last renovation BEFORE I completed, I would probably not have bothered with the place; but I don't really see weve got much choice as even a change of government won't wind the clock back!

The problem is that now, both HIPS & the buyer’s solicitor will ask questions regarding notifyable work & the availability of the paperwork/completion certificate. You could say there has been work but you don’t have the paperwork & see what happens (probably goodbye buyer!) but it would be extremely unwise to lie & say no as that would leave you wide open to legal action if/when the person who buys the property finds out! At the end of the day you pays ya money or take ya chances!

 

[and1c]

Thanks for the informative replies guys.

I should have explained myself a bit better with my original post but it was late when I posted it

I meant do I need planning permission for the window in the gable end of the house primarily.

and do I need building inspector approval of the works.

Reading through the responses it seems I probably dont need planning for the small window but it is better to check this with the planning dept.....?

And that technically I do need to get BI round to inspect the work and offer advice as the job progresses

As londonman says....Im sure theres a huge amount of properties that have un inspected work done that will sell fine because they will just say 'its been like that for years mate...'
but my Dad wont be living in this house for the next 10 years, maybe not even the next 5 as they will be moving somewhere smaller in the future so I think its probably best if I get the B.I involved so that it is all rubber stamped so to speak.

 

[Monsoon]

I meant do I need planning permission for the window in the gable end of the house primarily.

Reading through the responses it seems I probably dont need planning for the small window

I would have thought the introduction of a new window *would* require planning permission.

They have guidelines on overlooking privacy, a new window would have a bearing on this.

That said, if you just went ahead with a frosted window and bottom opening pane then, even if it got flagged with planning it's hard to see a basis for a case against it.