Launched on September 13 2024, the Urban Planning Amnesty, which was expected to allow thousands of ‘trapped buyers’ to obtain a Title Deed, has to date received a mere 50 applications according to media reports.
An Interior Ministry official advised the Parliamentary Committee on Internal Affairs about the scheme’s current progress, highlighting that over 300 inquiries have been made for more information.
The official said that the ministry is currently focusing on replying to those enquiries, with answers also available on the ministry’s website (view the Planning Amnesty FAQs in English). The official added that the Interior Ministry anticipates that the bulk of applications will be submitted by March. This would be in line with previous amnesty programs where applications start low begin with, but increase steadily before reaching their peak near the deadline.
This scheme will remain active for six months, allowing Planning Amnesty applications for unauthorized extensions in residential and other developments to be reviewed, with the aim of issuing Approval Certificates and eventually, Title Deeds. The amnesty scheme also aims to improve surrounding environments and support the Affordable Housing Fund.
Applications for the Urban Planning Amnesty can be submitted online via the Ippodamos system at the five main planning authorities (District Administrations of Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca, Paphos, and Famagusta). Interested citizens are encouraged to consult registered planners associated with the Cyprus Scientific and Technical Chamber (ETEK).
Following Planning Authority approval, and before receiving a planning permit, applicants must first pay 10% of the required compensation to the District Administration’s fund, with the remainder going to the Affordable Housing Fund, managed by the Cyprus Land Development Corporation (KOAG). The applicant then provides KOAG’s receipt to the Planning Authority to secure the permit.
Urban planning amnesty comments
Readers should appreciate that:
- This is not an ‘amnesty’ in the true sense of the word, i.e. “the act of an authority (such as a government) by which pardon is granted to a large group of individuals.” This is a scheme whereby individuals may apply to have a limited number of planning infringements removed on payment of compensation, which is based on the extent of the infringement. Unfortunately, this so-called amnesty has been reported as helping ‘trapped buyers’ to get their Title Deed, leading many real trapped buyers (who cannot get Title Deeds because the vendor mortgaged the land on which he was building) to believe this is a viable alternative. In fact, people may be ‘trapped’ by both planning infringements and vendors’ mortgages.
- Here are some of the infringements that the urban planning amnesty fails to address:
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- The most glaring omission is that only foreigners who are legally registered as resident in Cyprus can apply as the online application system (Ippodamos) requires foreign applicants to enter their ARC number.
- Unfinished/lack of roads and/or pavements
- Unfinished/lack of green area
- Unfinished/lack of surface water drainage
- Parking spaces configured incorrectly
- Insufficient parking spaces
- Lack of disabled parking spaces
- Lifts not installed according to the permit
- Balcony railing heights built less than 1.1m from the parapet
- Electricity sub station built in wrong place
- Boundary walls too high
- Access in wrong place
- Lack of sewage green card
- Final approval certificate not issued
- Communal facilities not inspected
- Nowhere to keep rubbish bins and/or not enough bins
- Swimming pool changing rooms and facilities not built according to permit
- Properties built facing wrong direction
- Street lighting not installed
- Parking areas blocked in and covered
- Biological sewerage systems not installed as required by permit
- Buildings failing to meet fire regulations
- Buildings encroach on land belonging to someone else
- Given the limited scope of this urban planning amnesty, I wonder if the lawmakers investigated the scope, extent and multitude of planning infringements blighting properties with the Planning Authorities?
