A company with Israeli interests has applied for planning permission to build 60 homes, a campsite, and a winery in the abandoned Limassol village of Trozena, according to information provided to Phileleftheros by the president of the Limassol District Local Government Organisation (DLGO).
No planning permit has been issued. The Environment Department has raised concerns about the site’s protected status under the European Natura 2000 ecological network and has requested additional information before any decision can be made.
The development plans came to light following social media posts claiming the village had been “sold to Israelis,” which prompted Phileleftheros to seek clarification from the authorities.
Limassol DLGO president Yiannis Tsouloftas confirmed that a company had submitted applications for the development, but said no licence had been granted.
The applications were not submitted as a single unified proposal. According to Phileleftheros’s information, two separate applications cover the 60 homes, with a further application each for the winery and the campsite.
The DLGO and Environment Department will assess all four applications together, considering the full scope of the proposed development rather than each element in isolation.
According to Phileleftheros’s information, the homes and winery are planned for the core of the former settlement, where the village’s inhabited area once stood, while the campsite is planned for the village’s outer perimeter.
The entire area falls within the Natura 2000 protected zone. The Environment Department told Phileleftheros that Natura 2000 is a European network of protected areas covering flora, fauna, birds, and habitats, based on EU Directives 92/43/EEC and 2009/147/EC, and that it aims to protect vulnerable species and habitats across their natural range regardless of national borders.
The department considers the area’s flora and fauna to be particularly rich and in need of protection, and has requested further details on the type and scale of the development in order to assess its potential impact.
Tsouloftas said the DLGO had assigned the review of the application to an experienced official with a background in similar developments, and that the official’s findings would be taken into account alongside other factors before any decision is reached.
The dominant planning zone in Trozena is H1, a residential classification. Phileleftheros reports that under H1 zoning, buildings of up to three storeys and 11.4 metres in height are typically permitted, with a building coefficient of 120% and a coverage ratio of 70%, allowing for small apartment buildings, residential complexes, and individual homes.
However, the Natura 2000 designation may require a more in-depth environmental assessment before any development can proceed.
If approved, the project would substantially alter the appearance of the village, with existing structures demolished and new buildings erected in their place. Trozena’s population peaked at 133 at the 1946 census, according to Phileleftheros, having stood at 64 in 1931 and 106 in 1960.
