Plans to ‘lower’ apartment standards slammed

Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy and his department have defended moves to “lower” minimum standards for new apartments, despite widespread concerns being expressed. Mr Murphy and the Government have moved to reduce the minimum size of apartments, increase the number of apartments that can be built per development and remove the need for car parking for residents in central locations. Under his plan, Mr Murphy also intends to increase the cap on the number of units that can be on a floor for every lift or staircase from eight to 12. Opponents have hit out at the plans saying they will not address the housing crisis nor will they encourage developers to build.

Read the full article @ The Irish Examiner

New apartment guidelines published by the Department

Updated ‘Sustainable Urban Housing: Design Standards for New Apartments, Guidelines for Planning Authorities’ (March, 2018) have just been published.

A Circular letter (FPS 03/2018) was issued by the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government to Chief Executives, City and County Councils Directors of Planning Services, City and County Councils, Senior Planners, City and County Councils and An Bord Pleanála on the 9th March 2018    

These guidelines which update and supersede the previous 2015 document takes account of:

§  experience in their implementation since 2015;

§  the need to enhance apartment output to secure both additional housing supply and more compact urban development patterns; 

§  departmental and stakeholder research and analysis into the deliverability of increased supply of apartments; and

§  submissions made during the public consultation period.

Accordingly, the 'Sustainable Urban Housing: Design Standards for New Apartments, Guidelines for Planning Authorities' guidelines aim to:

i. Enable a mix of apartment types more closely reflecting contemporary household formation and housing demand patterns and trends, particularly in urban areas;

ii. Encourage more refurbishment and small-scale urban infill schemes;

iii. Deliver greater policy clarity in relation to the emerging ‘build to rent’ and ‘shared accommodation’ sectors; and

iv. Remove requirements for car-parking in certain circumstances to support sustainable transport modes and in the interests of enhancing the economic deliverability of apartment schemes.

These guidelines are issued under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended).  

Planning Authorities and An Bord Pleanála are required to have regard to these guidelines in the course of carrying out their functions, and are required to apply certain provisions of the guidelines stated as Specific Planning Policy Requirements under Section 28 (1C) of the Act above. 

These guidelines are available to access here.

The Departmental Circular can be reviewed here.

Rules will 'add €35,000 to price of apartments'

NEW regulations requiring developers to build bigger apartments in the capital will add up to €35,000 to the cost of each unit.

Managing Partner of Bruce Shaw Partnership, Derry Scully, warned yesterday that Dublin City Council regulations compelling developers to build apartments up to 25pc bigger than currently required by law would lead to increased prices.

The regulations require that one-bedroom apartments be a minimum of 55 square metres compared to 45 square metres under current Department of the Environment guidelines. Two-bed units must be 80-90 square metres and three-bed units 100 sq m.

Paul Melia
Irish Independent

www.buckplanning.ie

New national planning guidelines for apartments

National planning guidelines for apartment buildings, which will for the first time compel developers to meet minimum standards for size and design of apartments have been published by Minister for the Environment John Gormley.

Until now, developers have been permitted to determine the size of apartment units and the space given to storage, balconies, and outdoor areas within their developments, as long as they secured planning permission from their local authorities.

National planning guidelines for apartment buildings, which will for the first time compel developers to meet minimum standards for size and design of apartments, are to be published today by Minister for the Environment John Gormley.

Until now, developers have been permitted to determine the size of apartment units and the space given to storage, balconies, and outdoor areas within their developments, as long as they secured planning permission from their local authorities.

Minimum sizes were in place for tax-incentive apartments, known as Section 23 apartments, built in urban regeneration areas since the mid-90s. However, these standards were not enforceable at a national level.

The new guidelines set minimum floor space sizes ranging from 45sq m for a one-bedroom apartment to 90sq m for a three-bedroom apartment. Minimum storage areas for these apartment will range from 3sq m to 9sq m, while minimum balcony areas will range from 5sq m to 9sq m.

The guidelines state that "dual aspect" apartments, i.e. apartments with windows on two sides, should be the norm while single-aspect units facing north should not be permitted. Storage should be provided for "bulky items" in kitchens and bedrooms, communal drying facilities should be provided in larger schemes and bicycle parking must be provided.

The new standards fall somewhat short of recent guidelines published by Dublin City Council for apartments within its area.

However, the principal planning adviser with the Department of the Environment, John Martin, said the department's guidelines should be seen as a minimum requirement.

"We hope that a significant number of apartments exceed these standards," he said.

Olivia Kelly

© 2007 The Irish Times

Draft Guidelines on Design Standards for Apartments for public consultation

I saw this yesterday evening, but didn't have a chance to put it up. All planners will be pleased to hear that the DoELGH has finally published the much anticipated Draft Guidelines on Design Standards for Apartments for public consultation. I'll try to get a review up as soon as I can, but here's a chunk of the press release:

The primary aim of these draft guidelines is to promote sustainable urban housing by ensuring that the design and layout of new apartments will provide satisfactory accommodation for a variety of household types and sizes – including families with children - over the medium to long term.

The focus of these draft guidelines is on the apartment building itself and on individual units within it. While there has been a general trend towards larger average apartment sizes over the past decade, these draft guidelines provide recommended minimum standards for:

· floor areas for different types of apartments,
· storage spaces,
· sizes for apartment balconies / patios, and
· room dimensions for certain rooms.

The draft guidelines also refer to the different housing needs in different areas, as reflected in housing strategies and local housing demand. Target average floor areas and a mix of unit types and sizes are suggested in new apartment developments, to help to ensure sustainable residential communities and facilitate integrated developments for different categories of occupants. For example, the draft guidelines recommend that no more than 10% - 15% of units in any apartment scheme of, say, 20 or more units should be of the one-bedroom type (save in exceptional cases, such as student accommodation), because of their incapacity to cater for families.

These new guidelines will form part of a suite of guidance being prepared by the Department within a wider housing/planning context, which will include:
· new draft planning guidelines, provisionally entitled "Sustainable urban housing: Planning for new residential developments", which will incorporate a revision of the 1999 residential density guidelines;
· a new best practice handbook on urban design and housing layouts which will illustrate, with examples drawn from current practice, how the policies set out in the planning guidelines might be implemented; and
· a revision of the 1999 Social Housing Design Guidelines.

In welcoming these new draft guidelines, the Minister highlighted the need for the guidance "to reflect the rapid changes in Ireland's demographics and settlement patterns over recent years, the need for more compact urban design, better integration between residential development and physical and social infrastructure and the overriding aim of building sustainable communities which will contribute to a good quality of life for all our people".

The Department welcomes any comments or submissions on the draft apartment guidelines up to close of business on Monday 5th March 2007. The finalised guidelines will subsequently be published by Minister Roche under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000. This requires planning authorities and An Bord Pleanála to have regard to them in the performance of their functions.

However, pending finalisation of the guidelines, planning authorities are being requested to have regard to the recommended standards for new apartment schemes, when preparing or varying development plans and local area plans, particularly when their current plans incorporate older standards.

Here's the link:http://www.environ.ie/doei/doeihome.nsf/0/A612D009022D4DCE8025725F00584E79