Following an Audit Office report on planning derogations, Cyprus's technical chamber ETEK says unauthorised developments should not be legalised after construction.
According to Cyprus Property News, the president of the Scientific and Technical Chamber of Cyprus (ETEK) has said authorities should not grant retrospective planning permission to unauthorised developments. His comments follow a special Audit Office report on the Council for the Study of Derogations (SYMEPA). ETEK acknowledges the body's strengths, such as public hearings and transparent procedures, but argues that allowing projects built without approvals to obtain permits later would undermine planning policy and be unfair to those who follow the rules. The Audit Office found serious weaknesses in the process of granting planning permission by derogation and warned that exceptions risk becoming the rule. It cited cases where unauthorised developments were approved after earlier applications had been rejected, enforcement notices issued and the Planning Authority had advised against approval. Examples included an industrial-zone warehouse used illegally as a supermarket, which received a temporary four-year permit, and a house built without permission on high-quality agricultural land in Famagusta district, which was also approved by the Council of Ministers on SYMEPA's recommendation. The report also pointed to long delays: between 2020 and 2023, average processing time ranged from 25 to 31 months, and in some cases exceeded a decade. In 90 of the 627 cases examined in that period SYMEPA diverged from the authorities' recommendations, and the share reached 21.4% in 2023. The Audit Office called for a review of the derogation framework, stricter action against unauthorised development and clearer assessment criteria. SYMEPA responded that processing time should be counted from the moment it receives all required opinions, and that complete files are generally examined within two to four months. It also said Article 26(2) of the Town and Country Planning Law allows the Council of Ministers to approve departures from the Development Plan in exceptional, justified cases, whether or not the development is already completed. For buyers, the debate underlines the importance of the planning status of a property.