THERE IS CONSIDERABLE “disquiet” among professional planners over the government’s decision to drastically reduce the minimum standards for apartments.

They say the reforms were announced by the Department of Housing without consulting them – “the very professionals that will have to interpret and implement the changed guidelines”.

The minimum size of a studio apartment has been reduced from 37 sq m to 32 sq m, while developers will no longer have to provide a mix of unit sizes in apartment blocks. 

Fewer windows and balconies are required, while a requirement to have indoor ‘communal, community and cultural facilities’ has been scrapped.

Gavin Lawlor, President of the Irish Planning Institute, said planners recognised the gravity of the housing crisis, but don’t believe the new measures will bring development costs down or accelerate delivery.

Scrapping the requirement for blocks to have a mix of apartment sizes is a “market-led approach” that is “fundamentally at odds” with the Department’s strategy of building high-quality, sustainable housing, he said. 

“This, and allowing changes to already permitted developments, also risks introducing more legal unpredictability.

“Planners are deeply concerned about the potential unintended consequences of the Minister’s actions.”

Lawlor said the guidelines being presented as a fait d’accompli is regrettable, and it has caused significant disquiet among members of the Irish Planning Institute.

The Department of Housing also did not consult with tenant organisations, homeowner organisations or members of the public ahead of the changes.