Our View: Nicosia municipality must win battle over high-rise

Interior Minister Nicos Nouris has opted for open confrontation with Nicosia municipality over the construction of a 10-storey building in Kinyras Street, which is opposed by councillors, citizens of the area and the technical chamber Etek. Nicosia municipal council has twice, by overwhelming majority, rejected the developer’s application for a town planning permit, as this was an area of special character which had to be protected.

The rationale of the council was that if it gave the go-ahead it would set a dangerous precedent, opening the way for more developments in other areas of special character. Although the plan for the area allows for tall buildings, the proposed development would be much taller than all other buildings of the area and ruin its architectural and historical character. Mayor Constantinos Yiorkadjis had cited these arguments, responding to a letter he had received, a little over a year ago, from the minister, who asked that a permit be issued.

Nouris has decided to become more forceful now. In a letter to the municipal council, he said the rejection, “in essence, constitutes an abuse of power and non-compliance with a hierarchically higher administrative organ, that is the relevant ministerial committee, that has the authority to examine hierarchical recourses.” Citing the powers he had under town planning law, the minister asked that the file with the application was sent to the ministry for handling. Everyone can guess what will happen once the application goes to the ministry.

The municipality is meeting today to decide what to do, aware that the interior minister is, legally, in a strong position. In Cyprus, central government has excessive powers and next to nothing has been done to address this imbalance, even though EU guidelines propose the ceding of power to local government. EU thinking is that democracy becomes more representative by allowing citizens to have a bigger say over decisions that affect their daily lives. The devolution of power is something successive central governments refuse to countenance.

Although the minister is acting within the law, the decision to over-rule the municipality makes a mockery of the very idea of local democracy. Central government is showing complete disregard for the wishes of local residents and councillors who want to preserve the special character of the area. The minister could argue that the law allows for the construction of a 10-storey building in this specific area and that rejecting the application for a permit would be legally unjustified.

Then again, the law does not take into account the special character of an area or the fact that sticking a high rise building in the middle of an old, traditional part of town would be a crime against architectural aesthetics. The Kinyras Street case is a battle the Nicosia municipality must win, because if it does not other areas of special character will follow.