My mum has bought her council house after living in it for over 25 years.
As my next project for her she wants me to 'knock' the bathroom and toilet
room into one, and install a new suite, tiles etc. The toilet room only
houses the toilet, I.a. no sink etc. Both rooms are upstairs and next to
each other. The two rooms are separated by a stud wall, it is approx 3"
wide, and is hollow all over, and as far as I can see has no load bearing
purpose at all. The existing bathroom door will also be removed and blocked
in using plasterboard etc. When 'opened up' the new room will measure
approx 1.7 Metres by 2.4 Metres.

The stud wall has always been there while Mum has lived in the house so I
don't know if it part of the original build or not. The house is approx 50
years old, and the council "did some work" on the bathroom and toilet prior
to my Mum moving in so it was probably put in then. One of her friends
(old fell in her swimming group, who says he was a building inspector or
similar) says she will need planning permission in order to do this as she
is reducing the number of rooms in the house! I cannot see this as being
correct but thought I would check on here. If it helps this is the only
toilet and bathroom in the house.

I will also have to change the lighting a little as the existing bathroom
light is on a pull switch, but the toilet light is on a normal switch which
will be inside the new bathroom. She wants only one central light and a
pull cord putting in the 'toilet side' and the other one removing. I have
the capabilities to do this but can I, with this new Part P regulation?

Cheers

John