AGIA NAPA: Kindergarten, autism center and conference center by golf course company

The director of the Ayia Napa golf course company states that he is ready to donate shares or profits for public benefit projects to the Municipality and the Church

Snapshot 2019 11 07 14 exclusive, golf course, Nea Famagusta

Significant public works projects are ready to be created by the company that intends to build the golf course in Ayia Napa.

In a letter sent to the Mayor of Ayia Napa dated October 31, 2019, the Director and shareholder of the company "Ayia Napa Forest Golf Ltd", Christos Koitazos, lists the positives that are expected to emerge from the creation of the golf course in Ayia Napa.

In the letter, the Director of the company states that the main reason for his involvement in the creation of the project from 1992 until today was and remains the same, namely the creation of a huge quality tourism infrastructure project that will further enrich the tourist product of free Famagusta.

For this reason, in the letter he clarifies his commitment which he submitted before the Ayia Napa City Council in a meeting he attended on October 25, 2019, that any citizens who wish can contact him to transfer the shares he holds to company with the promise to continue the effort and the struggle that uninterruptedly and consistently for 27 years he serves himself, according to what he states, to achieve the goal, the creation, that is, the creation of at least one golf course in the province of Famagusta.

In the letter, the Director of "Ayia Napa Forest Golf Ltd" unreservedly states that if the above intention is not realized, he will proceed immediately with the signing of a Commitment Agreement to the Municipality and the Church of Ayia Napa stating that any benefits and profits from his participation in the company, will be offered to the Municipality of Ayia Napa for other public benefit projects and institutions such as those already announced to be done by the company:

  • Nursing Home and Autism Center
  • New Kindergarten
  • Upgrade Works at the Monastery
  • Large Conference Center

But also to the Church for strengthening her charitable work towards the weak and vulnerable families of the parish of Ayia Napa.

1 002 exclusive, golf course, Nea Famagusta

2 002 exclusive, golf course, Nea Famagusta

The history of the project

According to an accompanying memorandum of the company, the history of the project is as follows:

"Ayia Napa Forest Golf Ltd" was established in 1998 by the Hoteliers of the Free Province of Famagusta with the sole purpose of creating a golf course with the aim of attracting winter tourism, further upgrading the tourist product of the region and alleviating the seasonality that plagues the season. region.

For the creation of the project in question there are the following Ministerial Decisions:

1998:  Decision to lease forest land in the Ayia Napa Forest before it joins the Nature 2000 Network, at “Ayia Napa Forest Golf Ltd” to create a golf course without residential or commercial development. A relevant contract had been signed for this purpose. Due to the constraint, the project did not proceed as it was financially unprofitable.

3 / 10 / 2007: The effort was renewed with the contribution of the local authorities and a new Ministerial Decision was taken to renew the contract for another 4 years so that an effort can be made to find an investor for the implementation of the project. For this purpose, a relevant, non-prohibitive, conditional opinion was received from the European Commission dated 2/12/2007 or which, after acknowledging the fact that this lease had taken place before the inclusion of the land in question in Nature 2000, ends with the position that in case the State decides to allow the development, the necessary measures should be taken to reduce the environmental impact.

3 / 10 / 2013: Decision for lease of state forest land in the Ayia Napa Forest in LK Mazeri (Cavo Greko Golf Resort) Ltd for the creation of a golf course in accordance with the Decision of the Council of Ministers 61.614 for the creation of 14 golf courses in Cyprus with incentives.

26 / 2 / 2014: At the urging of the State in order not to burden the area of ​​Nature 2000 with 2 golf courses and with the consent of the 2 companies, a new Ministerial Decision was taken to cancel the lease to Ayia Napa Forest Golf Ltd and simultaneously transfer it to the site in which was the leased land to LK Mazeri (Cavo Greko Golf Resort) Ltd.

It is important to note that the new site, located on the eastern edge of the Nature 2000 Network, was selected on the one hand because it was adjacent to private land on which commercial development would take place and on the other hand it was judged to be of no particular environmental value. It should also be noted that for the 2007 lease Ayia Napa Forest Golf Ltd had paid the € 250.000 lease set out in the agreement.

18 / 6 / 2014: Decision to provide the incentives provided by the Ministerial Decision no. 61.614 for the creation of 14 golf courses in Cyprus with incentives in Ayia Napa Forest Golf Ltd.

Based on the latest decision of the Council of Ministers, Ayia Napa Forest Golf Ltd proceeded with the preparation of all the necessary studies and submitted an application for a Planning Permit in 2017 and while the application was in the final stage of examination, problems arose with the Environment Service. which eventually led to the rejection of the requested permit by the Town Planning. It should be noted that the company proceeded with the required studies and applications, always having as a given that there was the lease of land by the State and the relevant approvals of the Council of Ministers for the creation of the project in this area, hence a Hierarchical Appeal was submitted for above decision of the Department of Environment and Urban Planning.

After a very careful study of the proposal of the Ministry of Agriculture for the transfer of the Permit to another area that does not fall within the limits of the Nature 2000 Plan for the implementation of the project without problems and despite the above, the company decided that it could accept the proposal. , meaning that the company will not be in a worse position than it is today in terms of development potential offered in the new area.

As part of the company's studies for the specific property proposed by the Ministry of Agriculture, the company has proceeded with the necessary preliminary designs / designs of the field, which showed that it can be a golf course, but to do so due to limitations existing (enclosed space with the largest side approaching an interurban road) but also the peculiarity of the soil (large unevenness, slopes with solid rocks) requires a larger area of ​​land (584.000 sq.m. instead of 525.000 sq.m. Ministerial). As a result, the residential and tourist development that can take place in the rest of the property that remains after the removal of the golf course area is significantly reduced. More specifically, in the remaining 190.000 sq.m., a maximum development of 50,000 sq.m. can be made, under the best conditions, ie approximately one third (1/3) in relation to the 150.000 sq.m. allowed in other golf courses. .

The above development will be done on the east side of the plot in a way that does not affect the existing developments and any limited vegetation. The trees will be protected and preserved according to the conditions that exist in the previous contracts with the Department of Forests but also based on the needs of the project where other traditional trees of Cyprus and other vegetation will be added to make the area a huge oasis. and lung green, accessible and visible.

The lease agreement that will be signed sufficiently guarantees the interests of the State as the Department of Land Registry will calculate the value of the state forest land and based on this the rent of the lease based on the building factor and coverage on the development area. In addition, based on the estimates of the Department of Water Development, there are the necessary quantities of tertiary water for irrigation of the premises while helping to resolve the issue of disposal of excess water arising from the operation of the Wastewater Treatment Plant in the area.

The property is located outside the Nature 2000 network and is the southeastern part of the Sotiras State Forest. Due to the construction of the highway along the entire northern part of the property, it is cut off from the rest of the forest, which is very important in itself, since the impact on the neighboring area is minimized. The limited natural vegetation of the area consists mainly of acacias, phrygana, scattered invisible with few pines and eucalyptus, cypresses and ropes mainly in the border areas. According to the Department of Forests, no endangered species of flora and fauna have been identified. Therefore, and given that the existing pines, cypresses and invisible will be preserved, it is judged that there will be no significant negative economic impact.

It is understood that the enormous value of the project as an infrastructure project for the region will significantly contribute to alleviating the problem of seasonality that has plagued the region for decades. At the same time, 400-500 new jobs will be created on a XNUMX-month basis with positive results in the unemployment funds of the State. In addition, within the framework of the compensatory measures of Community Development and Prosperity, millions of projects will be offered to the Municipality of Ayia Napa, such as:

  • Nursing Home - Nursing Center
  • Autism Center
  • New Kindergarten
  • Renovation works of the Monastery
  • Conference center and event hall of 1500 people inside the project premises for use by the Municipality.

3 002 exclusive, golf course, Nea Famagusta 4 002 exclusive, golf course, Nea Famagusta 5 002 exclusive, golf course, Nea Famagusta

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