windows - what permissions do i need

[charlm]

i currently live in a council property and am allowed to modify it upstaits to turn it into a 3 bedroomed house but the (supposed) tech inspector came out to look at it and see about adding an additional window (the window will measure 3' wide by 4' high), now he has told me that i need planning permission to add this window but i cannot find anywhere on the internet stating that i need this permission, he also says that i needed planning permission to build a stud partition wall and add a doorway into an existing wall, but again i cannot find this anywhere, the doorway has already been put in and a concrete lintel inserted above it, i am pretty sure if someone came round from building regulations they would be satisfied with what we have already done.

can anyone advise me further, and please dont give me links to building regulations sometimes i dont understand the wording. so just simple yes, no answers to each query would be great thanks

 

[charlm]

and just to verify what i have done so you are fully informed,

my front bedroom is the full width of the house (excluding stairs) and is 17' wide, i have partitioned at the 10' mark creating a larger bedroom and a box bedroom, i have then extended my landing into the back bedroom via 4' to allow me to create a doorway into the larger section (again these walls are basic stud partition) , in these houses the window is positioned to one side of the bedroom which means only one side of the partition has a window and i want to add the additional window to the box bedroom, the window meets all the relevant fire regulations.

 

[Shytalkz]

Your internal works wouldn't come under planning, unless you were for example making one property into two or vv, but they may come under Building Regulations, depending on what you're doing and certainly if it involves structural alterations.

Your window will not normally need planning approval, unless you're in a conservation area, or some other designated area. Check with the LA planners. It is, however, structural, so needs Building Regs approval.

 

[TicklyT]

If it is a council owned property you have at least three different bodies within the coucil to satisfy.

That includes the planning department, whose main concern is whether your alterations will affect your neighbours and neighbourhood. You may, or may not need to make a formal application, but if it is only bought to their attention later through objections to your changes they have the power to force you to restore your work. For instance, we had to satisfy the planning department that creating an extra bedroom would not have any impact on the already overloaded local car parking arrangements, as they viewed an extra bedroom as accomodation for another potential car owner.

Then there's building control. They are interested in whether the work is carried out to the appropriate standards. They may wish to inspect parts of the work as you progress. If they only find out about it later on, they may ask for some of the work to be taken down or opened up for their inspection. If they are not satisfied they will not sign off the work as completed.

Then there is the council as your landlord, who will be interested in what effect they consider the changes you make will have on the value of their property. Any work carried out without any necessary planning permission or building control certification will have a considerble effect on the property value

As they are all concerned with different aspects, agreement from one department does not indicate that either of the other two will be happy with what you are doing, so you really need to inform all three before you start.