GREATER HELP FOR LISTED BUILDINGS - Pafos Live 6/3
The increase in the maximum recognized cost of restoration of listed buildings was approved by the Council of Ministers. According to an announcement by the Ministry of the Interior, the decision is part of the wider planning of the Ministry of the Interior to simplify and improve the management framework for listed buildings.
As mentioned, today's decision was taken with the aim of adjusting the amounts to the current reality of expenses, in order to address the problems identified in the issues of rescue and maintenance of listed buildings.
According to the Ministry, it is found that the increase in the cost of materials and work in the construction industry has a consequent impact with an increase of about 25%-30% in the costs for the restoration of listed buildings, acting as a deterrent for the owners of the buildings in question.
In order to address the significant differentiation of construction costs and to reduce the difference between the actual and recognized costs of restoration of listed buildings, the amounts are increased as follows, the Ministry continues.
In particular, it states that for buildings with an area of up to 300 sq.m., an increase from €1,400/sq.m. to €1,700/sq.m. is foreseen, for buildings with an area of 301 sq.m. to 1,000 sq.m., from €1,300/sq.m. to €1,600/sq.m., while for buildings with an area of more than 1,001 sq.m., an increase from €1,000/sq.m. to €1,300/sq.m. is foreseen.
It is added that the Ministry of the Interior is promoting a series of changes in the procedures governing the management of listed buildings, with the aim of the integrated protection of remarkable buildings and the historical centers of cities and villages, but also the facilitation of owners for the purposes of reuse and utilization of these buildings.
In particular, in addition to increasing the maximum recognized restoration costs, these measures concern, among other things, the implementation of the accelerated licensing procedure for listed buildings, the promotion of an exemption procedure from the obligation to obtain a building permit for low-risk listed buildings, the creation of a single repository base of listed buildings, the creation of a single licensing point for listed buildings, the operation of District Offices of the Conservation Branch, the digitization of cultural heritage, and the preparation of a manual to assist owners, designers and supervisory authorities in the field of building restoration.
The aim of the changes is to create a more flexible framework, which will operate in a modern way and will protect the listed buildings and, by extension, the architectural heritage of Cyprus, the announcement concludes.
