Core Refusal Reason
The development represents sub-standard residential accommodation that fails to meet national minimum standards for room sizes and natural lighting, while also negatively impacting the visual character of the building.
Decision Maker's Conclusion
- The proposed apartment fails to meet the required minimum standards for room sizes as established in the 'Sustainable Urban Housing: Design Standards for New Apartments' (2020) guidelines.
- The development provides inadequate natural lighting for all habitable rooms, resulting in a sub-standard level of residential amenity for future occupants.
- The alterations to the front elevation, specifically the replacement of a window with a door unit, are out of character with the existing building and detrimental to the visual amenities of the area.
Cited Policies (CDP)
Decision Document Summary
This application sought retention permission for the change of use of a ground-floor commercial unit to a single apartment at 324 Blarney Street, Cork, including the replacement of a front window with a door unit. Cork City Council refused the application on the grounds that the unit constitutes sub-standard development. Specifically, the apartment fails to meet national room size requirements and lacks sufficient natural light, while the external design changes were deemed incompatible with the...SOURCE PDFOpen Original
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