The €11m investment to develop a five-star hotel complex at Plaka, Litochoro, in Pieria is nearing the final stage of planning approval, following approval of the Special Urban Plan (SUP) for a 21,500-square-metre coastal site at Tom-Pigadi.
A presidential decree published in the Government Gazette on 4 November sets out the permitted land uses, building terms and environmental requirements for the development of the property.
The investment plan is being pursued by Olympos Elaion S.A., owner of the site where the complex will be built. Its president and managing director is Eleni Binta, while Sotirios and Stefanos Bintas are members of its board. BINTAS IKE is also linked to the company and the project.
The project
The initial plans call for a five-star hotel complex with a total capacity of 216 beds, comprising 94 rooms and four suites. The planned facilities also include restaurants and leisure areas, wellness facilities and event spaces.
The planning process for the investment had begun by 2021 at the latest, when preliminary approval was granted for the Special Urban Plan. In December 2023, the Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment was put to public consultation, followed in 2024 by an environmental recommendation and the endorsement of the geological suitability study.
The Central Council for Urban Planning Issues and Disputes issued its opinion on the plan in September 2024. The Council of State also issued an opinion before the decree was published.
The terms
The approved Special Urban Plan covers an area of 21,505.41 sq m, designated for “Tourism and Recreation”. Permitted uses include tourist accommodation and special tourism infrastructure facilities, catering and leisure businesses, and renewable energy installations.
The maximum floor-area ratio is set at 0.18, with a possible increase of 0.02 exclusively for special tourism infrastructure facilities. Based on the size of the property, the basic permitted floor area is about 3,871 sq m, with scope for an additional 430 sq m for those facilities.
The maximum site coverage is set at 20%, with a specific provision allowing a limited increase for main hotel accommodation, solely to create communal semi-open spaces. Buildings may be up to 7.5 metres high, with roofs of up to 2 metres also permitted.
Specific provisions protect the coastal zone and adjacent watercourses, requiring a minimum distance of 50 metres from the shoreline and 20 metres from the flood lines of the watercourses.
Particular emphasis is placed on water-resource management and flood protection, given the location of the property and its proximity to watercourses.