The Environmental Authority has granted final approval for the revival of the historic Berengaria Hotel. The decision is based on three key aspects: meticulous project planning, its location, and the manageable nature of its environmental impacts.

The Authority, in its statement, noted that its decision considered various elements such as the information submitted under Article 23 of the Law, supplementary details, project redesigns, an on-site visit, opinions from the Department of Water Development, Forest Department, Geological Survey Department, and the Game and Fauna Service. The decision aligns with the criteria of the Fourth Annex of the Law and the Special Ecological Assessment Report on Impacts in Protected Areas, with no objections to the project's construction under the stated terms and conditions.

The Authority, under Article 24(5) of the Law, details the reasons an Environmental Impact Assessment is not required, citing relevant criteria from the Fourth Annex. It suggests project features and/or measures to prevent or mitigate any significant adverse environmental impacts.

The project was assessed on the following criteria:

Project Characteristics: The project has been carefully designed to minimize the removal of black pine trees. Building placement largely utilizes already disturbed areas of the land, specifically situating two apartment buildings in the former tennis court area, where dense tree cover is absent. The 22 residential units are primarily located within disturbed parts of the land (near the Forestry College road with existing buildings), with some houses situated in the undisturbed area, adjacent to the existing internal road network. Efforts were made to further minimize environmental impacts and reduce black pine tree removal through repositioning some houses, reducing area size, and lowering the number of parking spaces.

Project Location: The proposed project is situated in a mountainous area, bordering the Troodos National Forest Park and the Natura 2000 area to the north and east. To the south lies the inhabited area of Prodromos Community. The area is designated as a Zone of Exceptional Natural Beauty. Given the extensive size of the Zone, other types of developments may be permitted if they meet specific criteria regarding aesthetics, environmental integration, project scale, etc. The project site, falling within the H6 residential zone, previously housed an existing, non-operational, listed hotel and a café-restaurant. The hotel will not be demolished but renovated and extended. Two existing buildings will be demolished. The wider development area mainly consists of residential and mixed uses (commercial and catering, mainly during summer months, a park, a campsite, and the Forestry College).

Type and Characteristics of Potential Impacts: The impacts from demolition and construction will be of limited duration and can be mitigated following the prescribed measures in the Annexes. Furthermore, the impacts from the project's operation can be satisfactorily managed, adhering to the mentioned conditions.

It's noteworthy that based on the information presented to the Environmental Authority, the proposed project involves the demolition of two existing buildings, land subdivision into three plots, road construction, mixed tourist development, conservation, restoration, modifications, and extension of the existing listed Berengaria Hotel, residential development (two apartment buildings with six apartments and eight studios), and a unified residential development (twenty-two houses), owned by LIMADINO Ltd, in the Prodromos community of Limassol province.

The proposed development will be located within the administrative boundaries of Prodromos community, on plot no. 502, Sheet/Plan: 37/5342V01, with a total area of 26,338 sq.m. The site falls within the H6 residential zone.

The proposed hotel unit will comprise 32 rooms, 12 condo units, ground floor and basement pools, a basement spa, a restaurant, and auxiliary uses. The listed building housing the hotel unit will undergo restoration of its stone structure and roof, new internal drywall constructions, and extensions using metallic and glass structures, while the spa additions in the basement will use reinforced concrete, brick masonry, and external thermal insulation/rendering.

A significant part of the project involves demolishing existing structures and constructing new ones, with residential units primarily located in the already disturbed areas of the land (tennis court area, near the Forestry College road with existing buildings), while the houses will be situated in the undisturbed area, adjacent to the existing internal road network.

For new constructions, reinforced concrete frames, wooden sloping roofs, external metal sheet claddings, and thermal insulation materials will be used. The designers aim to use permeable materials wherever possible to further reduce the development's sealing percentage. The project will provide 100 car parking spaces and a bicycle parking area with 19 outdoor spaces and ski equipment storage.

Access to the project will be through an existing public road, with a new cul-de-sac public road created to provide public access to the three plots under development and the public space for community facilities. Another public road will be constructed at the southern boundary of the development area, directly connected to Prodromos' main roundabout to the east and another local road to the west.

According to the project architects, construction will commence upon receiving all necessary permits and is expected to last approximately 3 years (36 months).

However, according to bbf Group estimates, the project is expected to be completed by mid-2026.