02.06.2024
Limassol City Planning Department staff are struggling to sort out thousands of backlogged applications for planning permission as the deadline for local government reform approaches.
The reform, which will see planning powers transferred to the newly created Limassol District Local Government Organisation , has resulted in a sharp increase in applications for planning permission, with approximately 3,500 applications currently pending.
Head of Department Iraklis Ahniotis acknowledged the increased workload on the department. The priority is to process existing applications while managing the constant flow of new applications. Public anxiety about the reform and the rush to get approvals ahead of the transition are major contributing factors to the current rush to process thousands of applications. “People are afraid of the unknown and want to be sure that their applications will be processed within the current system,” explained Ahniotis .
The pending applications highlight the continued investment interest in Limassol in the residential, tourism, commercial and other sectors, strengthening its status as a leading business center in Cyprus. However, the influx of applications has put significant pressure on department staff.
The transition to the organization of district self-government should begin on June 10 after local elections. Ahniotis expressed confidence in the progress of the situation, noting the ongoing training of personnel for the new Office of Licensing, which will be located in a building on Talias Street near Franklin Roosevelt Street. He also confirmed that concerns raised by some City Planning Department staff about the transition had been addressed.
