Forest Department for Protaras Golf Course: "The most suitable area with the least environmental impact"

Clarifications for the selection of forest land in the area of Protaras, made through his statements on the website StockWatch, the director of the forest department Charalambos Alexandrou, regarding the proposed creation of a golf course in the area.

As part of the government's policy to promote large investments to attract foreign investors who will pour fresh money into the Cypriot market, the forestry department continues to look for the right place to host the golf course in the province of Famagusta.

The director of the forest department, Charalambos Alexandrou, told StockWatch that "The government's political commitment is to create a golf course in the province of Famagusta. In this context, we sought the most appropriate area with the least environmental impact and social pressures. " "This time we chose an area that falls within the municipal boundaries of the municipality of Paralimni", he said.

He clarified that the forest department has already sent a letter to the relevant departments from May 25 and expects their own views on which it will depend on whether the process of leasing the specific area and licensing the application of the company "Ayia Napa Forest Golf Ltd" will proceed. .

As Mr. Alexandrou noted, this is the third area in the series that is placed under the microscope of those in charge and stressed that "We consider this area to be the most suitable because it does not belong to the Natura 2000 Network. These are 3-4 small pieces of forest in the Arkakouthkia area, east of the firing range."

He also noted that a preliminary review of the area for flora and fauna had been carried out and that it was not affected by the project, adding that if the response was positive, a proposal would be submitted to the cabinet to lease the area to the company.

Regarding the other two areas, he said that one was rejected due to the reactions of the residents of Ayia Napa because it was in a wooded area and the other due to the reactions of the residents of the community of Sotira, for the same reasons.

The representative of the company "Ayia Napa Forest Golf Ltd", Christos Koitazos, in his own statements stated that "This area is not as wooded as the previous two areas, nor does it have environmental problems that could affect the environmental authority's decision when examining the environmental impact assessment study."

Mr Koitazos said "Our effort began 23 years ago. Today we hope that the process will proceed and as soon as we secure the planning permission we are ready to look for a foreign investor because such a project of the order of € 100 million cannot be done without the participation of a foreign investor ".

The project, in addition to the stadium, will include a hotel, residential and commercial development, but of smaller scope than the previous one, because the residential square meters are less.

The entire investment will be expanded to a total of 770 thousand sq. M. Of which at 590 thousand sq.m. the golf course will be expanded and in the rest the tourist, commercial and residential development, he said.

Source: StockWatch