The Minister for Housing has been told smaller gardens would be a 'game-changer' in solving Ireland's housing crisis.
The Irish Times reports that Glenveagh Properties, one of the largest home builders in Ireland, has presented a plan to Darragh O'Brien which would allow developers to shave more than a quarter off the distance between the back of houses.
An existing 22-metre guideline from backdoor to backdoor dates back to the 1900s, a time when outhouses, fuel storage and vegetable growing were common in gardens.
Glenveagh says the rule should be reduced to 16 metres to achieve more low-rise, high-density developments in suburban areas around the country.
The plan also includes more tightly built streets and a reduction in apartments. It says while there's still a requirement for new flats in city centres, the cost of building apartments outweighs the benefits.
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