A group of citizens is preparing to ask the court to annul the Cabinet decision granting planning permission for a new mall in the Agios Athanasios municipal district of Amathounta Municipality.
Other parties affected by the Cabinet’s decisions on two proposed malls are also considering their legal options.
Several parties consider court action
The Cabinet approved the Agios Athanasios development by way of derogation from the Limassol Local Plan, subject to specific conditions and compensatory measures, despite strong opposition.
Politis understands that a group of citizens is preparing to take the matter to court, seeking the annulment of the decision.
The parties behind the second mall application, which was rejected, are also monitoring developments and have not ruled out taking legal action. Similar discussions are taking place within Amathounta Municipality, amid concerns that the views of the local authority were not adequately considered.
Publication starts the 75-day deadline
The Cabinet decision was taken on 16 July but has yet to be published in the Official Gazette.
Interested parties will have 75 days from the date of publication to challenge the decision in court.
There are also concerns over the compensatory measures attached to the approval. As long as these remain unpublished, changes on the ground are continuing without clarity over how the measures will be implemented.
One example involves a new car dealership operating on land expected to form part of a planned connection between Agios Athanasios Avenue and the seafront.
According to information obtained by Politis, the matter is already before the District Local Government Organisation, which is considering planning enforcement measures, as no permit appears to have been issued.
Cabinet decisions to go before Parliament
The issue is also expected to be brought before Parliament, where the Cabinet decisions will be submitted together with the reasoning behind them.
Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou confirmed this in a response to a parliamentary question submitted by Limassol MP Marina Nicolaou.
In his reply, dated 3 August, Ioannou said the two applications, concerning the municipal districts of Mesa Geitonia and Agios Athanasios, had been submitted by way of derogation from the provisions of the Limassol Local Plan and examined under the relevant legislation.
The Cabinet reached its decisions on 16 July. The law requires the decisions to be published in the Official Gazette within one month and sent to Parliament together with their reasoning.
Objections and environmental impact
Ioannou said the objections raised by local authorities, residents and professional bodies had been taken into account during the process.
Both applications were initially examined by the Planning Authority and subsequently by the Council for the Study of Derogations, which held public hearings in October 2025. The positions of the organisations involved and those who submitted objections were recorded and included in the council’s report.
Regarding the environmental impact of the developments, particularly their effect on air quality, the minister said the issues had been examined by the Environmental Authority.
