Famagusta, Cyprus. The interior ministry on Thursday denied claims by the Famagusta district government that pending regulations had halted the processing of planning permission applications for single-family homes. It said the current regulations already allow authorities to consider individual applications.
Ministry response
The ministry said the regulations in force “specify eight provisions” under which the construction of a single-family home may be permitted. It added that the rules also set the minimum plot size, the maximum permitted distance from the property line, acceptable forms of access, and other guidelines.
Scope of discretion
According to the ministry, the discretion available to any district’s urban planning authority to approve or reject such developments is “limited to a minimum”. It said that, for this reason, the fact that new regulations requested by the district government remain pending “do not affect the ability to consider individual planning applications”.
District government statement
The Famagusta district government said on Wednesday that “applications concerning a single residence cannot, at this stage, be examined” because it was awaiting approval of new guidelines from the interior ministry. It said the examination and processing of planning applications would proceed “after the completion of the procedure and receipt of the relevant approval” from the interior ministry.