Turning a kitchen serving hatch into a doorway

[Turnstyle]

Recently moved into our house, and after removing wallpaper & lining paper discovered the kitchen serving hatch is only covered with plasterboard. Not bricked up.

- would we require planning permission to install a door way in place?
Hatch is wide enough - over 100cm all the plastered over frame looks to be, opening (going off the perfectly flat board) 3ft.

Would it be a case of putting in a lintle and door frame underneath?


Edit: just to add, im only after a bit of advice on what would be required. I won't be undertaking the work myself, with it being a structural wall id be approaching a builder to do the work.

 

[Wayners]

Plasterboard stud wall.
Thats won't be a supporting wall.

 

[stevie888]

No you don't need planning but strictly you would need building regs. Most wouldn't bother though

If the top of the hole is in the right place then whatever support is in place will be unaffected, but a kitchen hatch is likely to be lower. I'm reading your post as a masonry wall with a plasterboarded hole so you will need a lintel.

You will find timber stud load bearing walls.

 

[Turnstyle]

Thank you for the replies.

Forgot to mention for context, wall is masonry wall that runs through the middle of the house and is structural.
Only hatch opening is plasterboarded and skimmed prior to my ownership.
I only know there isn't any brick behind plasterboard it as we've fitted a floating shelf across it for now to take your eye off it.
Prior to shelf I drilled a big enough hole (hidden by shelf) to have a look.

Hatch is mid height on the wall.

 

[Wayners]

Fit concrete lintel at door height then knock through for door

 

[johnny2007]

If the hatch is high enough and you only need to remove the bottom part without enlarging its width, you can go ahead.
There's a lintel above the hatch that you won't be disturbing.

 

[Murdochcat]

Maybe post a photo

 

[blup]

Install a lintel if as seems the top of the serving hatch is lower than door height

 

[noseall]

Thank you for the replies.

Forgot to mention for context, wall is masonry wall that runs through the middle of the house and is structural.
Only hatch opening is plasterboarded and skimmed prior to my ownership.
I only know there isn't any brick behind plasterboard it as we've fitted a floating shelf across it for now to take your eye off it.
Prior to shelf I drilled a big enough hole (hidden by shelf) to have a look.

Hatch is mid height on the wall.

The hatch is irellevent, but for the convenience of a few bricks missing.

You need to look at ceiling hight, joist direction and potential point loads. In most cases a 1200mm PCC lintel at around 2.1m up from ffl will suffice. A brick-brick opening of around 870mm is ideal. You can then plasterboard line the reveals dead plumb, before fixing the (762mm?) door lining.