Building more one off homes will be bad for the elderly, an architect has predicted. 

Housing Minister James Browne has promised to “liberalise” planning rules, in order to speed up planning applications for those seeking to build one off homes. 

However, concerns have been raised that the Government should seek to boost housing density, rather than acquiescing to rural and suburban sprawl. 

On The Claire Byrne Show, architect Dermot Bannon said any changes would only benefit a minority within society. 

“Not everybody has parents who have a farm,” he argued.  

“Not everybody has land that they can build on, not everybody has lands that they should build on. 

“I just think it's nonsense, really.”

Homes on the Dingle Peninsula. Picture by: Alamy.com. 

Mr Bannon acknowledged that there are “huge difficulties” obtaining planning permission, especially for those with a “genuine need” to live next to their family or a farm. 

However, he noted that the planning system is already “so overstretched”.  

“If you're building in a one off house, there's traffic, there's roads, there's draining,” he continued. 

“And we've seen what happened over the last couple of months with flooding and houses, people building on floodplains. 

“You have to go through all those systems and checks and kind of liberalising it. 

“What will that do? Does that mean that people will end up with water coming up as far as their fireplace or their stove?” 

A view of Annascaul village in Co Kerry. Picture by: Michael Diggin / Alamy Stock Photo.

Mr Bannon added that while his own mother lives in Malahide, North County Dublin, his aunt still lives in the family home they grew up in. 

While the location is idyllic, her life has become increasingly difficult as she ages. 

“It's in the middle of the country,” he said. 

“Beautiful views, it's the place I went on my holidays every single summer, it's a place close to my heart.

“But she's stranded there; there's no footpaths, if she wants milk or anything like that, she has to ring somebody to bring her down to the shops. 

“My mum walks everywhere.” 

Mr Bannon urged the Government to focus increasing housing density, which he argued would increase people’s quality of life 

“If we were to throw money at it or energy at it, we should be looking at our small rural towns and villages,” he said. 

“Maybe build housing that people want in the village, so that they can walk to the pub, they can walk to the coffee shop, their kids can walk to school. 

“A lot of what we do tends to push people out and spend a huge amount of time in the car.

“And sometimes when they get a bit older, [they get] isolated.” 

Main image: Housing in Ventry. Picture by: Alamy.com.