Top court orders brake on construction on islands

Settlement extensions on Paros must not be based on housing pressures or holiday home demand, but must consider the island’s overall capacity, the country’s top legal body ruled on Tuesday.

The Council of State canceled all such extensions provided for in the island’s General Urban Plan 10 years after its approval.

“The need to create new settlements with the expansion of existing ones and the inclusion in a project of new ones is not legally substantiated in terms of analysis of the existing state of the natural and structured environment, expected population sizes and capacity of the island,” it said.

The ruling was preceded by the rejection of a large tourist investment plan on Mykonos, which provided for twice the number of beds allowed in the specific area.

Tellingly, the two decisions came at a time when urban plansare being assigned for Santorini and Mykonos.