Planning permission has been awarded for Cyprus’ first crematorium, which will be built in the Paphos district village of Ayia Varvara, the company behind it, Golden Leaves Cyprus Crematorium, said on Friday.

“This milestone represents a historic step in the modernisation of funeral care services in Cyprus,” it said, before adding that it will “now proceed to the next stages of the development”.

Construction, it said, is expected to commence in September, and be complete within 18 months.

“Once operational, the facility will provide a modern, dignified, and environmentally responsible alternative to traditional burial for families choosing cremation,” it said.

It added that “the project is also expected to address a longstanding need among both Cypriot citizens and the island’s international resident community, many of whom have until now been required to travel abroad for cremation services”.

The building, it said, will “feature modern ceremony halls, landscaped memorial areas, and state-of-the-art cremation systems incorporating advanced filtration and low-emission technology”.

“Particular emphasis will also be placed on creating a peaceful and respectful environment that welcomes and accommodates all religious and cultural communities,” it said.

The initial plan for the crematorium saw the building set to be 11,000 square metres in area and built from reinforced concrete and bricks, built over two floors – a basement and a ground floor.

The plot allocated to the crematorium was over 455,000 square metres in area, with the cost having been estimated at €2.2 million.

The plan foresaw that on the ground floor, there would be a main entrance and a waiting area for visitors, three offices for crematorium staff, a kitchen, a ceremony area with seating for 70 funeralgoers, as well as sanitary facilities.

In the basement, there would be facilities for receiving and preparing the bodies, an incinerator, an ash delivery office, refrigerators for the temporary storage of the body, as well as three parking spaces for cars.

However, the plans hit a stumbling block last year, with the Ayia Varvara village council telling the Cyprus Mail at the time that after the granting of an initial licence to construct a crematorium, a request had been made for “more square metres”.

Cremation has been legal in Cyprus since 2016, though no crematorium has yet been built.

The Cyprus Mail attempted to contact the Paphos district government and the Angel Guardians funeral home, of which Maureen Watt, a representative of Golden Leaves Cyprus Crematorium, is a director, to comment on the development, but received no response.