Nicosia mayor Charalambos Prountzos on Friday called for greater public participation in consultations on the city’s new local plan, saying he particularly wanted to see more young people get involved.

“Participation is a sign of a healthy society,” he said.

Prountzos said important suggestions had been put forward during two previous consultations, held at the Melina Merkouri hall in central Nicosia and the municipal theatre in Ayios Dhometios.

The meetings were aimed at explaining the process to residents and organised groups and gathering their views on the new local plan.

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He described the consultations as “excellent”, saying each lasted more than three hours. They included a 20-minute presentation by the municipality’s advisers, with the remainder of the time devoted to public input.

The mayor said the sessions had been recorded in full, while the municipality had also created a QR code and online link through which residents could submit their views. Comments can also be submitted through the town planning department’s Ippodamos platform.

Prountzos described the consultations as a “necessary step in the right direction” and said participation had so far been relatively good.

However, he said there was room for improvement, particularly among younger people. The municipality also intended to encourage greater overall participation by making digital tools available to residents.

“Participation is a central policy in an era of disengagement and social alienation,” he said.

Turning to the next stage of the process, Prountzos said the municipality had the largest technical department in Cyprus, comprising an urban planner, two transport planners, architects, engineers and other specialists.

The team is working on the municipality’s proposal for the new local plan, which will then be put before the municipal council for approval. The council will decide on the final content of the municipality’s submission.

Prountzos also expressed concern over the timetable set by the interior ministry and town planning council, describing it as “very tight”.

The deadline for submissions is October 18, following the circulation of the initial report in mid-June.

He said this had prompted both the municipality and the union of municipalities to request a “brief extension” to the deadline, but no response had yet been received.

“In any case, we are working to submit the application on time,” he said, adding that “so many years after the adoption of the previous local plan, it is essential that the process is well-documented and transparent.”