(Un)Regulating discretion in development control: tall-building approvals in Limassol, Cyprus

This paper draws on a selected case study to examine how discretionary decision-making in development control can benefit from operational guidelines so as to become more transparent, consistent and accountable. Adopting an outcomes-centred approach, it investigates a series of discretionary approvals that have permitted the development of 107 tall buildings in Limassol, Cyprus, since 2007. The study analyses the spatial characteristics of the approved developments and situates them within the broader planning and policy framework under which the permissions were granted. In the absence of a local framework regulating the exercise of discretion in development control, the assessment turns to international planning practice and adopts the framework developed in Western Australia as a reference model. The findings reveal that a combination of outdated planning policies, vague provisions, and the absence of development-control guidelines enabled a pattern of decision-making that deviated from the strategic intent of the Limassol Local Plan. The study offers broader lessons for discretionary planning systems, emphasising the need for up-to-date policy frameworks and clearly defined regulatory tools to guide discretion. It also highlights the challenges of ex post evaluation of discretionary decisions and demonstrates the effectiveness of Western Australia’s guidelines in supporting informed and consistent decision-making.