New planning guidelines reducing the minimum size of apartments will be published later.

The controversial plan would see the minimum size of a one-bedroom apartment cut from 55 to 45 square metres.

Studio apartments would be allowed to be even smaller - at 40 square metres.

Critics say the guidelines are a step backwards in planning and will do nothing to help families.

Building surveyor and member of the Society of Chartered Surveyors, Val O'Brien says the guidelines are being put in place to help people live affordably within city centres:

"In order to do that, there has to be compromise, there has to be give. You can only fit so many apartments into a space. And we had to look at how this might be developed."

"The whole idea is to try to achieve affordability, without actually cutting standards."