New shopping centre could become the subject of a court challenge

The authorities’ decision to grant permission for the construction of a new shopping centre may be challenged in court. According to Politis, a group of residents is preparing a lawsuit seeking to have the decision annulled. On 16 July, the Council of Ministers approved the granting of permission in derogation from the provisions of the Limassol local plan. However, the decision has still not been published in the «Official Gazette of the Republic of Cyprus». Publication of the decision is important for any potential challenge: from the date of its official publication, interested parties have 75 days to appeal to the court.

The absence of a published decision also raises questions regarding the compensatory measures envisaged for the implementation of the project. According to the publication, a new car company has already appeared on a plot that is eventually expected to be used to connect Agios Athanasios Avenue with the coastal area. The issue is already being considered by the Limassol Local Government Organisation as part of possible planning control measures.

The court challenge may be considered not only by residents. Representatives of another shopping centre project that was refused permission are also monitoring the situation and have not ruled out taking the matter to court. A similar possibility is being discussed in the municipality of Amathunta, which believes that the position of the local authorities was not taken sufficiently into account. Minister of the Interior Konstantinos Ioannou said that the Council of Ministers’ decisions on the two large shopping centre projects would be sent to the House of Representatives together with the reasoning behind them. According to him, both applications, concerning the municipal districts of Mesa Geitonia and Agios Athanasios, were submitted in derogation from the provisions of the Limassol local plan and were considered in accordance with the applicable legislation.

Ioannou also noted that the views of local authorities, residents and professional organisations had been taken into account during the review. The applications were first considered by the planning authority and then by the Council for the Consideration of Derogations, which held public hearings in October 2025.

The minister added that the project’s environmental impact, including air quality issues, had been examined by the environmental authority.