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Acropolis: Ministry temporary suspends licenses for buildings above 17.5m

Minister for Environment and Energy, Giorgos Stathakis, has signed a decision that new building permits are temporarily suspended in the area south of the Acropolis and Makriyanni-Koukaki. Furthermore, the Minister has asked for the immediate legality control of the hotel on Falirou Street No 5, which construction triggered the public outcry.

According to ministerial decision, suspended for one year are new building licenses with a height of more than 17.5 meters as wells as additional constructions in already existing buildings when they exceed the height of 17.5 meters.

During the one-year suspension period, no general or special legislation allowing any construction above the height of 17.5 meters will be implemented.

The ministerial decision is valid as soon as it is  published in the Official Gazette.

It should be reminded that already the General Directorate of Urban Planning (of the General Secretariat for Territorial Planning and Urban Environment) of the Energy Ministry in cooperation with the agencies and co-responsible ministries, has established a working group to review the construction conditions in the area south of the Acropolis in order to address the problem of the limiting the view to the Acropolis.

On this basis, all legal interventions considered necessary will be carried out after the problem arose with the legal changes in 2012, where the construction height of 27 meter was modified to 33 meters.

Residents of the area launched a protest in February, when the hotel construction on Falirou Street was completed. The hotel has 10 floors where other buildings in the area of the Acropolis Museum have just 6. The hotel got its building license in 2017.

According to protesters, the 10-story hotel -and more to built in the area- hide the view of the Acropolis, making it “exclusive for paying tourists” and moreover it increases the environmental pollution. Locals fear that if no building restrictions come into effect, a “wall of multi-story hotels” will be soon erected around the Acropolis.

To support locals’ online petition, sign here.

PS Bad for investment, good for Acropolis….

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