It was recently announced that the Cyprus Ministry of Urban Development has issued an order to stop work on a major project.
The reason given was that the developer had breached building regulations.
The project in question is a hotel complex which a major Israeli investor began to build a few months ago on the site of the former ELIA LATCHI HOLIDAY VILLAGE hotel. According to an official from the relevant authority, the old buildings were demolished and a new hotel with more than 800 beds was built in their place before the necessary permits were obtained. At the same time, the developer assured the officials that these were model buildings and that he would demolish the structures if necessary. In reality, the Israeli investor not only started work early, but also deviated significantly from the original plan.
In October 2023, when the developer obtained the necessary permits, it was discovered that the facility that had been built did not match the original design. The permitted height of the buildings was significantly higher than the regulations for the area.
To legalise the modified project, the company applied for a new permit. However, following numerous complaints and appeals from local residents, the Department of Urban Development issued an order to stop all work on the site. The files have been handed over to the new Paphos municipality, which will now have to deal with the matter.
It should be remembered that there was an attempt to build another modern hotel next to the new hotel complex, which turned into a lengthy construction project. The problem is that the developer exceeded the number of storeys in the building, building 5 storeys instead of 4, for which he was ordered to demolish the extra square metres. As a result, construction was frozen.
It is not yet known what fate awaits the Israeli investor's project. It is interesting to note that, according to the idea, the new hotel complex should be operational by 2026.