Volume 1 Written Statement

3.36 Shared Accommodation are complexes of studios with shared / communal facilities. The Sustainable Urban Housing: Design Standards for New Apart- ments (updated in December 2020) states that there shall be a presumption against granting planning permission for share accommodation / co-living developments unless the specific provisions of SPPR9 are met. SPPR9 states requires that either there were planning applications under assessment at the time of the making of the Guidelines or that a specific demand was identified for shared accom- modation / co-living development in the HNDA. Neither of these apply to Cork City. Therefore, there is a presumption against shared accommodation / co-living development in Cork City.

A significant quantum of student bedspaces have been recently completed or are in the process of being delivered during 2021, and the targets set out are over and above this quantity of purpose-built student bedspaces. Other schemes benefitting from permission but not commenced would be delivered in the context of the targets. 3.38 The Housing Strategy / HNDA sets out that student accommodation is likely to provide accommodation for the majority of the 1-person household market forecasted for Cork City (forecast at 580 of the 711 units per annum). The design of student accommodation is very similar to “Co-Living” property products with small studios and shared and communal spaces. 3.39 New PBSA supply will provide the opportunity for conventional houses to remain in non-student use or to be converted to non-student use. It is important that neighbourhoods are socially balanced to ensure that they are successful and create good residential amenity. 3.40 In order to make Cork City attractive to students it is important that the cost of accommodation is affordable to the student population. Within Cork City new PBSA schemes will not be subject to the provisions of Part V of the Planning and Develop- ment Act. During the lifetime of the Plan a scheme will be developed to apply Part V requirements to student housing developments.

Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA)

3.37 University College Cork and Munster Technological University make a significant contribution to Cork’s economy and labour market. It is important that their attractiveness and potential growth are supported by the appropriate provision of student accommodation. The National Student Accommo- dation Strategy includes an analysis of demand for student accommodation. The Housing Strategy updates this analysis to establish the indicative targets for new purpose-built student accommo- dation over the development plan period, which are set out in Table 3.5, below.

Provider

2022

2023

2024

2025

2026

2027

2028

Total

UCC

125

250

250

250

250

250

125

1500

MTU

115

230

230

230

230

230

115

1400

Private

50

100

100

100

100

100

50

600

Total

290

580

580

580

580

580

290

3500

Table 3.5: Indicative Purpose Built Student Bedspace Targets.

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Cork City Draft Development Plan 2022-2028

Volume 1 I Chapter 3

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