The total value of these permits rose by 25.8% to €115.0 million compared to March 2016, while their total area rose by 31.1% to 115.6 thousand square metres.
During March 2017, building permits were issued for:
- Residential buildings – 384 permits
- Community buildings – 3 permits
- Non-residential buildings – 109 permits
- Civil engineering projects – 15 permits
- Division of plots of land – 23 permits
- Road construction – 8 permits
During the first quarter of 2017, 1,451 building permits have been issued compared to 1,279 in the first quarter of 2016. The total value of these permits increased by 29.1% and the total area by 28.8%.
Building permits for new homes
The 384 residential building permits approved in March provided for the construction of 412 new homes comprising 218 single houses and 194 multiple housing units (such as apartments, semis, townhouses and other residential complexes); an increase of 34.6% compared with March 2016 when building permits were issued for the construction of 306 new homes.
Building Permits Issued for the Construction of
New Homes (Number of Dwellings)
| Month | 2016 (Dwellings) |
2017 (Dwellings) |
Increase/ Decrease |
%age Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 243 | 381 | 138 | 56.8% |
| February | 312 | 383 | 71 | 22.8% |
| March | 306 | 412 | 106 | 34.6% |
| Totals | 861 | 1,176 | 315 | 36.6% |
During the first quarter of 2017, the number of new homes for which permits have been issued rose by 36.6%.
According to the Cyprus Statistical Service, building permits constitute a leading indicator of future activity in the construction sector.