Applications for Urban Planning Amnesty Scheme reaches 699

A total of 699 applications have been submitted so far for the Urban Planning Amnesty Scheme,  designed to facilitate the legalisation of unauthorised constructions within approved developments.

The scheme opened on 23 September, 2024 for six months and closes on 23 March, 2025.

Of these, 616 applications concern the legalisation of violations for residential developments, Elikkos Elia, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of the Interior, told the Cyprus News Agency (CNA).

Elia said among the applications submitted to the District Local Government Organisations, (EOA), 219 were submitted to the Nicosia, 215 to the Limassol EOA, 78 to the Larnaca EOA, 150 to the Paphos EOA and 37 to the Famagusta EOA.

He said the 699 applications include the legalisation of violations for eight office developments, 616 residential developments, 36 commercial developments, six industrial and storage developments, three tourism developments, three health developments,  one welfare development, two sports developments, 13 leisure and entertainment developments, four agricultural/livestock developments, and seven other developments.

Elia urged the public who meet the provisions of the Scheme to take advantage of it in the remaining days until its expiration to obtain final approval and property deeds.

He underlined that the Scheme allows property owners to legalise unauthorised urban constructions of a small scale. 

Among the urban planning irregularities covered by the Scheme are exceeding the building coefficient, as well as small-scale regulatory deviations (covered verandas/pergolas, reduced distance from boundaries), adding that the application process through the Scheme is simplified and can be easily completed with the assistance of private consultants.

He said the fee for the application is paid to the Special Fund of the Cyprus Land Development Corporation, with the aim of it being used for the Organisation's affordable housing programmes.

He explained that the Scheme is interconnected with the state's comprehensive housing policy and the effort to alleviate housing issues and provide affordable housing.

(Source: CNA)