Hi,

I am in the process of changing two thirds of our detached garage into a dog grooming salon. The planning permission is submitted and a pre application advice submission has come back that it is likely to be approved.

I was told by an architect who checked with my local council, that due to the small amount of work I was carrying out, only a building notice would be required. The only work to be done is install a false ceiling which will have a fire rating, a new light replacing the existing one, a few electrical sockets on the walls, plumbing in an electric shower and pump to connect to the existing drainage, putting up a modular wall that can be removed just as easily and laying some flooring over the existing garage floor. All the electrics and plumbing will be carried out by professionals.

I checked with building control on what I need to do next and what the fee is for the building notice and they have told me I need to pay £378, which is a hell of a lot of money for a form to say get on with it. I have already paid in total £662 to the planning department and as we both lost our jobs last year money is understandably tight!! That's before trying to start a new business.

I have received the following reply, and I can't decide if it is a gentle hint not to bother with the building regs notice and just do the work or not....?

"Also just to let you know that if you carry out the work and don’t get Building Regs permission and you come to sell the house the solicitors will ask for an completion certificate for the works and you will have to apply then for an regularisation application which is more and at the moment that charge is £420."

I have no intention of setting up a business at home and then selling the house any time soon. Plus given the small amount of work to be done even if we did sell up, I could remove the wall and turn the garage back into a garage within a day. I also asked what category they were classing the work in and they said "It will come under the category of alterations to garage to form a habitable room" which in itself seems wrong because that's not what I am doing.

So, my question is, do I have to get building regs approval or not? Is it a legal requirement for me to inform them of the small amount of work to be done or can I do it without risk of any fines/enforcement notices/reprisals and then worry about it if we ever do come to sell the house? It seems very unfair that I need to tell them I'm putting up a new light up when you can build a whole conservatory on the back of a house without telling anyone!