BUILDINGS in some areas of Nicosia and other cities could reach as high as 25-storeys under new plans being drawn up by the town planning department.
The new proposals for the island’s urban areas are expected to be announced to the public by the end of July though the final environmental impact studies are still being evaluated.
“There are proposals that have to do with the environment; these dimensions of the local zones need to go through the environment service,” the head of the department, Christodoulos Ktorides, said yesterday.
”But the local plans aren’t complete yet, so we can’t give much out. The final proposal is expected to be publicised by the end of July.”
The proposed plans for Nicosia, Larnaca, Limassol and Paphos currently include provisions for buildings of over 16 storeys, with a possible increase in the building factor – the factor that defines the maximum square metres of land that may be built on – determined by the state.
Ktorides explained that the number of storeys – under the new plans – could even reach 20 or 25, based on the government’s “parking area policy”.
As the law stands currently, the maximum amount of storeys allowed is 12, with a 280 per cent building factor.
However, based on this policy, Ktorides said if a developer includes a car park in the construction and offers parking spaces to the public – the minimum being 60 spaces – the building factor could increase up to 400 per cent, with the maximum amount of floors reaching 16.
So if the new plans are finalised, he added, this number could increase to 20 and even 25, “depending on what is in the public’s interests”.
“There are possibilities in the urban centres for tall buildings, provided they fulfil criteria, like having big landings,” said Ktorides. “The plans are not complete though. This is just one part of it.”
The final proposals are expected to be made public by the end of July and will detail all the environmental, social, financial and developmental factors.
Ioanna Constantinidou, an environmental officer at the Agriculture Ministry’s Department of Environment, yesterday said the surveys into the plans’ environmental impact had been submitted for examination.
“The surveys were submitted so the department can examine the impact the new local plans could have on the environment,” said Constantinidou.
She added that a specially appointed committee would look into every possible environmental aspect – how the alterations in the local plans could affect the surrounding land, flora and fauna – before the department sends the plans back to town planning with any possible amendments.
According to ministry sources, there will be two separate meetings – one for Nicosia and Larnaca’s local plans next week and another for Limassol and Paphos later on in the month. These will be followed by further meetings, before any decisions are finalised and sent back to the town planning department.
