Restoration & Refurbishment

What permissions do I need from council if reducing load bearing wall and put window in front facing wall

Anonymous user 01/03/2024 - 2.50 PM

We want to carry out 2 small projects within our kitchen and unsure what permissions are needed from the council if any: Firstly, we have a load bearing wall which only measures approx 36 inches in length and juts out from the side of the kitchen which effectively partitions the room. We want to reduce it to 12 inches, to open it up. We've had a structural engineer who says its a simple job but we need an RSJ going along the length of the kitchen joists. I suspect we need Building Regs but would welcome advice. Secondly, in the same room, we want to put a window in our front facing wall (which is side on against the road) to allow some light into the kitchen. The window will of course be of the same style as the remainder. The SE said that both jobs were minor and he didn't feel that we needed planning permission although we are concerned that the window may be considered as a structural change. Grateful for any advice. We are not in a listed building, not overlooked by anyone and not in a conservation area. Further, if we went ahead, what could the worst case scenario be? Many thanks.