Famagusta building approvals surpass 2025 total in just nine months

Famagusta licensing body processes record number of applications in SeptemberThe Famagusta district recorded a sharp increase in construction and planning approvals during the first nine months of 2026, with building applications already 40.1 per cent above the total recorded for the whole of 2025, according to the Famagusta District Local Government Organisation (EOA). The organisation completed 646 building permit applications by the end of September, compared with 461 during all of 2025, meaning the number had already exceeded last year’s total by 185 applications before the end of 2026. September was also a record month for the organisation’s licensing directorate, with 299 licensing applications completed, the highest monthly figure since the organisation began operating. The previous monthly record was 293 applications, recorded in June 2025. The Famagusta District Local Government Organisation said the latest figures reflected a broader improvement in its handling of development and construction applications. “September 2026 was the most productive month for the Licensing Directorate since the organisation began operating,” the organisation said. Of particular significance was the performance of Category 1 development applications, which includes planning and building permits. A total of 1,070 Category 1 applications had been completed by the end of September, compared with 926 during the whole of 2025. That represents an increase of 15.6 per cent, with three months of 2026 still remaining. Planning approvals also recorded a substantial improvement, the organisation reported. Specifically, the organisation had completed 424 planning applications by the end of September, equivalent to 91.2 per cent of the total completed throughout 2025. September itself produced a new monthly record, with 78 planning applications completed. The strongest growth was recorded in building permits, however, with 646 applications completed during the first nine months of 2026 compared with 461 in the whole of last year. That represents a 40.1 per cent increase, even before the current year has ended. A further 120 building applications were completed during September alone, the highest monthly figure since the organisation was established. Together, planning and building permits accounted for 198 Category 1 cases completed during September, comprising 78 planning applications and 120 building applications. The Famagusta organisation’s president Yiannis Karousos attributed the improvement to changes in the way applications are being handled. “These results demonstrate our commitment to making use of technology, strengthening administrative productivity and adopting a different way of working, with an emphasis on simplifying procedures and speed,” Karousos said. “Our goal is a licensing system that is more modern, more functional and more effective, which responds to the real needs of citizens and professionals,” he added. The organisation said the continued improvement in its performance was the result of systematic efforts to speed up procedures, reduce outstanding applications and improve services for both the public and professionals. It added that it would continue efforts to modernise and upgrade its operations, with the aim of creating a licensing system that directly supports the development of Famagusta district and the local economy. The Famagusta figures come against a backdrop of strong growth in Cyprus’ wider construction sector during the first half of 2026. According to data from the Cyprus Statistical Service (Cystat), 4,401 building permits were authorised across Cyprus during the first six months of the year, an increase of 29.5 per cent compared with the corresponding period of 2025. The total value of those permits surged by 48.2 per cent to €2.57 billion, while the authorised floor area increased by 47.1 per cent to 2.10 million square metres. Residential construction was the main driver of the national expansion. The number of housing units covered by permits rose by 67.8 per cent to 11,100 during the first half of the year. Apartment blocks accounted for 7,832 of those planned units, reflecting strong demand for higher-density residential development. The value of residential permits increased by 66 per cent to €2.21 billion. The national picture was less positive for non-residential construction, where authorised floor space fell by 35.2 per cent and project values declined by 28.9 per cent to €226.30 million. Civil engineering projects, plot divisions and road construction, however, all recorded significant increases. The latest figures suggest that the increase in construction activity is not confined to the larger urban centres, with Famagusta recording a particularly strong rise in the number of building applications processed. The district’s performance is also significant because the licensing figures measure applications completed rather than simply applications submitted, meaning the increase points to faster processing as well as continued demand for construction and development. With three months still remaining in 2026, the Famagusta organisation is already well ahead of its 2025 performance in both planning and building approvals. The final figures for the year will show whether the acceleration recorded so far translates into a sustained increase in development activity across the district.