Director

Welcome to the website of the Development Licensing of the Nicosia District Local Government Organization!

The Licensing Directorate of the Organization is essentially a single Licensing Authority, which is created by the unification of the two existing Town Planning Authorities (Nicosia District Office of the Department of Town Planning and Housing and the Municipality of Nicosia), as well as the 11 existing competent Building Authorities (10 Municipalities and the Nicosia District Administration) of the Nicosia District, with the aim of exercising unified and uniform political and strategic tools for the implementation and management of development at the provincial level. The Development Licensing will essentially have the responsibility for the town planning and building control and implementation of the objectives and goals of the Development Plans, as reflected in the published Local Plans, the Area Plans and the Countryside Policy Statement.

The main objective and vision of the Licensing Directorate of the Nicosia District Local Government Organization (NDLGO) is to resolve the chronic problems of the Development Sector and to strengthen development activity, both in the urban complex of the capital and in rural areas, through the modernization of licensing procedures and mechanisms, in synergy with the adoption of a modern and flexible institutional framework, which constitutes the crowning glory of the spatial system, effectively utilizing its inherent comparative advantages. For this purpose, the holistic and substantive simplification of procedures and the introduction of new flexible computerized tools are required, with the ultimate aim of increasing productivity, substantially reducing bureaucracy, and ensuring the acceleration of the urban planning and building control process, which are an imperative necessity, especially in today's era, given the critical and diverse spatial problems and difficulties, as well as the lack of trust of our fellow citizens in the urban planning and building control system of development.

The creation of the Licensing Directorate is, by its very nature, a huge change and a large-scale innovative reform for our country, but at the same time a great challenge, where dozens of employees from various bodies with different working methodologies and different cultures and behaviors will be required to coexist and cooperate, with a common goal: the excellent service of our fellow citizens throughout the Province, based on the principles of legality, good administration and transparency. Therefore, I wish to be honest and clear from the beginning. The project is de facto difficult and clearly in the first period of time various problems will arise, which require special and sensitive management and require the cooperation and positive approach of everyone, both the public, the applicants and the researchers, but also the staff themselves. However, taking into account the positivity of the staff, the dynamism of the individuals – politicians and technocrats – who are taking over the reins of the Organization following the recent elections, as well as the Government's determination for radical reforms, I believe that we will manage to promote new tools and strategic policies, implement innovative mechanisms to accelerate licensing procedures with a substantial spatial footprint, and ultimately restore public confidence in the urban planning and construction system.

The submission of both new urban planning and building applications will be done exclusively through the computerized Ippodamos system and the physical receipt of files is essentially abolished. However, a Public Service Center operates at the Offices of the Licensing Directorate of the NDLGO, which are housed at 84 Athalassas Avenue, 2012 in Strovolos (former SYL Offices), which the public can freely visit daily. The public can also contact the Public Service Telephone Center, which provides a wide range of information and clarifications.

Dear fellow citizens,

In conclusion, I would like to take this opportunity to ask you to show the required patience in the early stages of the Organization's operation, assuring you that both the Organization's Management and all the other staff of the Licensing Directorate will work with full responsibility, consistency and integrity to achieve all the aforementioned objectives.

Georgia Kourtella Tziakouri

Temporary Director of Licensing of the Nicosia District Local Government Organization