New guidelines may limit households to one parking spot in some developments

New housing developments in cities near good public transport should be limited to one parking space per household, or have no parking where possible, under new draft guidelines.

The draft Department of Housing planning guidelines for local authorities increases the permitted density of housing developments in urban areas, in an attempt to boost housing supply.

The guidelines recommend that, for new developments in major cities, parking spots for cars should be kept to a minimum, or potentially eliminated, where there is good public transport links nearby.

However, if parking spots are not built for each housing unit, a limited number should be provided in new developments for people with mobility issues.

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For developments in cities Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford, the guidelines recommend new developments near public transport should have a maximum of one car parking spot per home.

The guidelines, drawn up by officials over recent months, recommend the amount of car parking spaces should be substantially reduced in new developments in other urban locations. The policy states that new housing estates in these areas have a maximum of one and a half car parking spaces per number of dwellings in the development.

In more rural locations local authorities are advised housing developments have a maximum of two car parking spaces per home.

The Government is to run a public consultation process on the proposed guidelines, which are due to be published on Thursday.

The draft guidelines stipulate housing density in Dublin and Cork city centre should be increased from at least 50 dwellings per hectare (dph) to 100-300dph.

The guidelines outline that the density of housing in other urban areas in the two cities should be 50-250 dph. Similarly, housing density in the city centres of Limerick, Galway and Waterford should be 100-200 dph.

In relation to the size of gardens, current standards require 55 sq m of private open space for smaller houses and 75 sq m for a four-bed house.

This would be reduced under the new proposals, meaning a one-bedroom house must have a minimum of 20 sq m of garden and open space, 40 sq m for a three-bed property and at least 50 sq m of private open space for four-bed houses.

The new policy will replace residential density guidelines established in 2009.