New apartment guidelines will make a positive difference in Cork city 

New apartment planning guidelines allowing for a greater number of one- bedroom units, will make a positive difference in Cork city, but other aspects of the new rules could impact quality of life, Sophie Johnston of Cork Simon has said.

Housing minister James Browne last week issued guidelines aimed at promoting an increased level of delivery.

The ‘Planning Design Standards for Apartments, Guidelines for Planning Authorities (2025)’ set out revised standards for apartment development in relation to apartment mix, internal space standards, floor to ceiling heights, storage spaces, and amenity spaces.

In relation to apartment mix, previously there were rules about how many apartments within a unit could be one-bedroom, but these limits have been removed.

Cork Simon’s Sophie Johnston, who previously highlighted the need for more housing for single people, said that there were positive and negative aspects of the new guidelines.

Urgent need

“I think it is good that the government recognise the urgent need to build more housing for single people, which not only but often comes in the form of apartments,” she told The Echo.

“As we showed in the last Home Truths report, the majority of adults in emergency accommodation and on social housing waiting lists are single adults. More broadly, household size has been decreasing for some time – in Cork city there are twice as many one- and two- person households as there are one- and two- bedroom homes, only 7% of housing in the city is one-bed.

“While development has not kept pace with increasing need across the board, it has also not kept up with changing demographics.

“Part of the new rules will allow for a great share of one-bed apartments, which there is a particular need for, this makes sense in response to changing demands.”

Missing the point

However, she said: “The proposed new rules around reducing minimum size, communal facilities - they are missing the point that these are to be people’s homes. It’s not just about increasing units, we also need to build sustainable communities. It can’t just be about counting units, it’s about the people, and I would be concerned that these changes will negatively impact their quality of life.

“These units should be built to last, so therefore they have the potential to negatively impact future generations’ quality of life as well.”

She concluded: “While it’s positive to see a recognition of changing demographics and the need for one and two bed housing units, minimum size and cultural and community facilities are key to quality of life and sustainable living – that all has to be balanced.”