Mayors decry regulation allowing taller buildings

Following in the footsteps of Alimos in southern Athens, the Municipality of Vari-Voula-Vouliagmeni instructed its planning department on Tuesday not to issue building permits that make use of the bonuses provided in the building regulation allowing taller buildings. 

Mayor Grigoris Konstantellos told Kathimerini that the alteration of the area’s character with five and six-story buildings. “Heights in our area are set by six presidential decrees. They start at 7.5 meters in some sections and reach a maximum of 14 meters – i.e. four stories. A survey of our area shows that 61.5% of new buildings – i.e. 115 of the 187 permits issued between the beginning of 2022 and March 2024 – have used at least one, or a combination of the height bonuses,” he said.

The Central Union of Municipalities of Greece has requested the suspension of the issue of building permits until the Council of State decides on the matter.