[Nikos Kokkalias]
In the latest chapter of an ongoing dispute, the Municipality of Alimos in southern Athens has suspended around 40 building permits tied to height bonuses provided by the New Building Code.
These permits, all unused, are now on hold pending a final decision by the Council of State, Greece’s top administrative court, expected later this month.
The controversy arose when the court declared these bonuses unconstitutional in December. Days later, the Environment Ministry issued legislation allowing already-issued permits to proceed. Alimos Mayor Andreas Kondylis, however, acted to enforce the court’s directive.
“We cannot allow construction to create irreversible outcomes before the ruling is published,” Kondylis said, adding that contractors had hurriedly initiated work to bypass legal roadblocks. The suspended permits highlight tensions between local authorities and national policies.
The Environment Ministry’s intervention sought to limit municipal cancellations of permits issued before December 12. Despite this, Kondylis insists that developers knowingly took risks.
With approximately 14,000 New Building Code permits nationwide and only weeks until the final ruling,