A disputed hotel project near one of Greece’s best-known beaches on the tourist island of Milos has been blocked after months of controversy, local authorities said this week.

Judicial authorities in Greece have stepped up scrutiny of new projects after decades of broadly unchecked construction, much of it on popular tourist islands to the detriment of the local environment.

The Milos municipal council in a statement Wednesday said its urban planning department had revoked the hotel’s building licence near Sarakiniko, a beach commonly known as “moon beach” for its lunar-like volcanic landscape.

“During the inspection, it was found that not all required approvals and supporting documentation had been submitted,” the council said.

“No construction will proceed without full compliance with laws and environmental requirements,” it said.

The controversy began in February and prompted officials to re-examine the hotel’s building permit — after construction had begun.

In 2019, residents near the Acropolis in Athens won a legal challenge at Greece’s top administrative court against a newly completed ten-story, five-star hotel criticised as too tall for the area.

The culture ministry subsequently ordered the removal of the hotel’s top two floors, a process now expected to begin from 2027 onwards.

Source: AFP