Greece’s top court, the Council of State has upheld an appeal by residents of Makriyanni against a 9-storey hotel that would block the view to the Acropolis of Athens. Constructors had obtained a legal license but the project froze in March 2019 when the residents appealed to justice and other public institutions.
On Friday, the CoS questioned the legality of the license and ruled to freeze the pre-approval of the hotel construction that would include 9 floors, three basement levels and an additional room construction on the roof top.
Fourteen residents had appealed to the CoS asking the freezing of the pre-approval.
The license was granted by the Municipality of Athens in 2017 and had the approval of the Greek Culture Ministry and the Central Archaeological Council. The latter revoked its approval last March following the local protest a month earlier.
The judges of CoS ruled that the pre-approval as “it had lost its legality” due to the CAC decision.
The hotel project had triggered furious reactions among residents and civic societies in the neighborhood of Makriyianni at the foot of the Acropolis. They argued that granting such construction licenses in the area would create “a wall of hotels” around the Acropolis, destroy the environment and alternate the urban living in the area due to mass tourism.
They demanded either cancellation of the project all together or at least lowering of the hotel height.
