The Government has decided to halt the controversial plan to extend Glafcos Clerides Avenue through Athalassa National Forest Park, following mounting political opposition and serious environmental concerns raised in Parliament.

>>Athalassa Park: The Battle to Preserve Nicosia’s Last Major Green Lung<<

In a letter sent yesterday to the House Interior Committee, Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou informed MPs that the project will not proceed “at this stage”, noting that the current design lacks the necessary consensus and that further study is required due to the environmental implications for the park.

The project — which aimed to ease traffic flows from Aglantzia into the wider Nicosia road network — had triggered strong reactions across party lines. Parliament had examined the matter ex officio, after a request by DIKO MP Christiana Erotokritou, with MPs warning that such an intervention into Nicosia’s last major green lung would cause irreversible damage.

DIKO MP Christiana Erotokritou called the proposal a step backwards, stressing that Athalassa Park is vital not only for Aglantzia residents but for the entire capital. She announced that DIKO will move to remove the project’s funding from the 2026 state budget, arguing that Cyprus should be expanding—not reducing—its protected green areas.

House Interior Committee Chair Aristos Damianou said Parliament is not convinced that alternatives have been properly examined and that “solving traffic problems cannot come at the expense of green lungs.”

Green MP Charalambos Theopemptou accused Town Planning of repeatedly trying to push roads through the park over the years, warning that the latest proposal appears to be part of a wider plan for new junctions at the entrance to Nicosia.

Residents’ groups also criticised the project as outdated. Stelios Ioannou of the Initiative for Aglantzia said the road would only funnel more cars into Aglantzia and Nicosia, contradicting European urban mobility trends that prioritise reducing car use and reclaiming public space.

In his letter, the Interior Minister said that with municipalities, environmental groups and organised bodies opposing the design, the project must be reconsidered and its environmental impact thoroughly reassessed.

The pause marks a significant shift, raising questions over whether a redesigned plan will emerge—or whether the idea of routing a road through Athalassa Park will be dropped entirely.