Alma on Monday questioned the cabinet’s decision to approve a major commercial development in the Ayios Athanasios area of Limassol, raising concerns over its legal basis, impact on the city centre and traffic.

It said the development had not been approved under the normal provisions of the current development plan but had instead received cabinet approval through an exemption from planning regulations.

The approved development is being promoted by the Papantoniou Group together with the consortium behind Nicosia Mall, which includes the Zorbas Group, PHC Group, Athienitis Group and VLM Group and will be built on vacant land at the entrance to the Ayios Athanasios industrial area, next to Jumbo.

Alma argued that planning regulations require such exemptions to be justified on the basis of specific principles and criteria.

But it said the proposed mall, located outside Limassol’s traditional commercial centre, raised concerns that it could weaken rather than strengthen the city’s urban and commercial core.

It further called for the publication of the traffic impact study, arguing that a development of this scale in an already congested area required greater transparency.

According to Alma, experience from other shopping malls in Cyprus has shown that such developments can shift commercial activity and visitors away from traditional town centres, with significant consequences for small and medium-sized businesses.

It called on the government to publish the justification for the cabinet’s decision, including the criteria on which the approval was based.

The latest intervention follows criticism of the proposed Limassol Mall development from Akel’s Limassol district committee last week.

The party argued that the project prioritises large commercial interests over the needs of residents, warning it could increase traffic congestion, undermine sustainable urban planning and draw commercial activity away from Limassol’s traditional shopping centre, affecting small local businesses.