OMBUDSWOMAN Eliana Nicolaou is carrying out a second investigation into the proceedings followed to develop the area near Nicosia General Hospital.
She said yesterday she had decided to investigate the issue after receiving complaints from various environmental groups regarding the traffic chaos surrounding the hospital since the opening of the neighbouring Mall of Cyprus and IKEA.
Referring to another investigation she had carried out on the matter last year following complaints by Technical Chamber ETEK, Nicolaou said she had spotted a number of irregularities and illegalities, which led to the conclusion that the permits were not given according to the provisions of town-planning laws.
“This investigation carried out by my office showed that there were a number of illegalities in the area, oppositions to the Local Plan, violations of the law, which means that the permits that were given, were not given according to the provisions of the law,” Nicolaou told CyBC. “The report that was given was very significant because it was given for a tempting part of Nicosia and the development that has taken place there is affecting a lot of things.”
She said her office was now evaluating the evidence given to her by the environmental groups.
“I’m expecting that our office will have a clearer view on the problem once this investigation is complete,” Nicolaou added.
The traffic problem surrounding the Nicosia General Hospital area was yesterday scrutinised by the House Communications Committee.
The discussion was mainly centred on the way a private company was licensed to build the Mall of Cyprus and IKEA so near the hospital.
The Public Works Department said it was currently evaluating a traffic study that was prepared to ease the chaos around the hospital. It would then decide which costs the company would be called on to pay.
Yiannis Papadopoulos, the Head of the Town Planning Department, told the committee that the company that received licensing to develop the area had taken on the obligation to pay for the works deemed necessary to deal with the ensuing traffic.
The latest traffic survey was submitted to the Public Works Department on September 14 and its evaluation is expected to be complete soon.
The Committee also referred to the history of the case. The company’s first application for town-planning permission was submitted in 1995 for the creation of an international park of commerce, culture, entertainment and tourism, with provision for the creation of a mall, a hotel and a square.
In 1997, the Cabinet approved the creation of the mall for retail trade and the hotel – the others didn’t need approval – and town-planning permission was issued in 1999.
Six years later, in 2005, the company requested an alteration with the cancellation of the hotel, and as this application was approved, the company applied for permission to build IKEA instead.
The operation of IKEA was deemed within legality, because according to the head of town-planning, the company would not be carrying out retail trade as it would have storage areas and areas to put products together.
Spokesmen for Technical Chamber ETEK insisted basic provisions of the town-planning law had been violated and claimed permission should not have been given for the construction of IKEA in the place of the hotel.
Limassol Mayor Andreas Christou, who was Interior Minister at the time the permission was given, yesterday told reporters that all procedures for the construction of the trade centre near the hospital were legal and within regulations.
The change in use from a hotel to a shopping centre fell within the provisions of the Local Plan and that was why permission was given and no alteration was needed, said Christou.
“Everything was done legally with procedures set in the law and regulations. The licences were given with the agreement of all the co-ordinated state bodies,” the former minister said.
“All the studies the constructions demanded – commercial, traffic and environmental – were secured, and no favours were made towards anybody, at least while I was Interior Minister.”
Christou explained that IKEA was smaller in size than the planned hotel and as it was covered by the Local Plan, it was licensed by the relevant authority.
