A new policy for the examination of planning and building permit applications will come into force at the Famagusta District Local Government Organisation on 1 August 2026, its president Yiannis Karousos has announced.
Under the new system, applications will be examined strictly in chronological order of submission, within each development category. Karousos said the aim is to ensure equal treatment, transparency and objectivity in the licensing process.
Applications will be divided into separate categories, including hotel and tourism developments, residential developments of up to four units, larger residential projects, commercial and industrial developments, other developments, applications by derogation and preliminary enquiries.
The organisation will also distinguish between physical files submitted before 1 July 2024 and electronic applications filed from that date onwards. In both cases, the order of priority will be determined by the date on which the application was received.
The status of applications will continue to be published on the organisation’s website. The new policy also provides for the publication of the order in which applications will be examined, while respecting personal data protection rules.
Only limited exceptions will be allowed. These will cover projects by municipalities in the Famagusta district, public utility works and critical public infrastructure, certain first-home cases where licensing is needed to prevent foreclosure or serious social or financial harm, and cases linked to the public interest or government programmes with specific deadlines.
Any departure from the chronological order will require approval by the director of licensing and will be recorded in a special register, with full justification.
The organisation expects to complete the recording and classification of all pending applications by 1 August, so that the order of examination can be finalised.
Karousos also said the Famagusta organisation will propose legislative changes to the government and parliament, making chronological examination, publication of the priority list and the keeping of a register for exceptions mandatory for all district local government organisations.
