The mayor Georgios Takkas speaks about actions that lead to the withering and confinement of the Municipality of Sotira on the occasion of the construction of the marina of Ayia Napa. In a letter to the director of the Department of Environment, Mayor Sotiras expresses his surprise at the content of the Opinion based on article 13 of the Laws on Environmental Impact Assessment of Certain Projects (2005 to 2014) for the design, construction, financing, operation and transfer of the Ayia Napa marina by the Environmental Impact Assessment Committee.
According to him, the opinion "is clearly at stake in the development of the Municipality of Sotira", as it is underlined as a measure to reduce the negative and irreversible effects on the environment the implementation of a plan to restore the natural balance, in the pre-illegal construction situation, on the nearby beach Theklas, which administratively belongs to the Municipality of Sotiras and is part of the same Natura 2000 area.
For the Municipality of Sotira and its citizens, these measures constitute a brake on any efforts of the Municipality of Sotira for development, as it is estimated that they bind the entire coastal area of Sotira to a non-development regime.
G. Takkas is impressed by the fact that the opinion states that for the construction of the Ayia Napa marina "there are superior reasons of public interest", while the only solution to the problem is the wilting and confinement of an area belonging to a neighboring municipality.
"It is reasonable to ask us various questions about the 'superior reasons of public interest' which are present in the degradation of the area of Agia Thekla, as well as the study with which the Department of Environment took this decision" notes Mayor Sotiras in his lengthy letter.
G. Takkas points out that from the conclusion of the Due Environmental Impact Assessment from the creation of organized beaches in Sotira, it appears that absolutely no impact occurs from the creation of organized beaches in the area of Agia Thekla in Sotira and no negative impact is observed from small actions of the Municipality of Sotira for the regeneration of two small beaches which are among the beaches of bathers.
The Municipality of Sotiras has decided unanimously in the regeneration of the coastal front Sotiras. That is why he estimates that the efforts of the Department of Environment do not have a vision and development prospects, but focus on the effort to promote large-scale projects such as the Ayia Napa Marina, "ignoring and ignoring the neighboring municipalities, which want to contribute to the stimulation and decentralization of tourist interest ".
Finally, he argues that the marina of Ayia Napa is for Sotira an opportunity for further development and promotion, as the Municipality has much to gain from the continuation of the tourist infrastructure within the Municipality of Sotira. "On the contrary, for the Department of Environment, the Ayia Napa marina is a wall beyond which any tourist development must be ruled out."
The Municipality of Sotiras is unequivocally in favor of the protection of species of flora and fauna that are in serious danger of extinction with the creation of the Ayia Napa marina, but emphasizes that it will strongly support the protection of its rights to develop and exploit its natural wealth as much as possible and will resist any attempts to "confiscate" its natural wealth, due to projects that do not belong to it and from which our Municipality has no short-term or long-term benefit to gain.
The letter has been communicated to the Minister of Interior and a number of officials.
READ THE LETTER GUARANTEED BY SOTIRANEWS:
Subject: Impact of the construction of Ayia Napa marina in the Municipality of Sotira
To our great surprise we have read the Opinion based on Article 13 of the Laws on Environmental Impact Assessment from Certain Projects (2005 to 2014) for the design, construction, financing, operation and transfer of the Ayia Napa Marina by the Environmental Impact Assessment Committee with date 13 January 2015 and with no. fax 02.10.011.015.007.003.
This opinion is clearly at stake in the development of the Municipality of Sotira, as it is underlined as a measure to reduce the negative and irreversible effects on the environment the "implementation of a plan to restore the natural balance, in the pre-illegal condition, in the nearby beach of Agia Thekla which belongs administratively to the Municipality of Sotiras and is part of the same Natura 2000 area ".
For the Municipality of Sotira and its citizens, these measures are an incomprehensible obstacle to any efforts of the Municipality of Sotira for development as they commit the entire coastal area of Sotira to a non-development regime.
It is striking that the aforementioned opinion states that the construction of the Ayia Napa marina "has superior reasons of public interest", while the only solution to the problem is the wilting and confinement of an area belonging to a neighboring municipality, which in the end is not to gain any interest.
It is reasonable to ask us various questions about the "superior reasons of public interest" which occur in the degradation of the area of Agia Thekla, as well as the study with which the Department of Environment took this decisive decision.
The first question that arises for the Municipality of Sotiras is why the Council of Ministers from 19/2/1997 (with a relevant decision no. 45.594) declares the whole area as Marina Ayia Napa, while afterwards eleven years later , in 2008, the area was declared a Natura 2000 site, resulting in a spasmodic attempt to find compensatory measures in neighboring Municipalities.
The second question that is reasonably raised is why the whole area joined a Special Protection Zone (SPA) without prior consultation with the affected Municipalities and Communities or even without at least prior notice.
Thirdly, it seems that the actions of joining the area in a Special Protection Zone are fragmentary, as an effort is made to preserve the natural environment and protect the flora and fauna, but on the other hand, hundreds of permits were given for the construction of densely populated luxury villas just 70 meters from the sea. , with the following consequences for the protected species.
Fourth, since May 2014, the Municipality of Sotiras has developed at the request of the relevant departments (Department of Environment, Hunting Service, Department of Marine Research, Department of Urban Planning and Housing) "Appropriate Environmental Impact Assessment from the creation of organized beaches and approved research team. This study unequivocally proves that the migratory bird species Charadrius Leschenaulti overwinters mainly in a rocky part east of Agia Thekla, in the area where the construction of the Ayia Napa Marina is planned. The same goes for the migratory bird Charadrius Alexandrinus which overwinters in the same area. The question that arises is why the Department of Environment declares the coastal area of Agia Thekla up to the river Liopetri, west of the places where migratory bird species spend the winter, as a "requirement", according to which criteria these migratory species will choose their new places and how is it possible with such building development to move just 500 meters further west? Also, why is the area east of the Ayia Napa Marina, which is located within the administrative boundaries of the Municipality of Ayia Napa, not invaded?
Fifth, it is clear, as is evident from the conclusion of the "Adequate Environmental Impact Assessment of the creation of organized beaches in Sotira", that absolutely no negative impact occurs from the creation of organized beaches in the area of Agia Thekla in Sotira and absolutely no negative There is no impact from the small actions of the Municipality of Sotira for the regeneration of two admittedly small beaches which in the Decree of the Ministry of Communications and Works ("Law on the Protection of bathers at sea") are included in the beaches of bathers. Also, these beaches are located in an environment that does not in any way affect the protected species, in contrast to the environmentally catastrophic large-scale construction of the marina in Natura 2000 Special Protection Zone and mainly in the specific places where migratory birds overwinter. which the whole area has been declared protected!
Sixth, it is surprising that Sotira as a local government has sought since 1986 the formation of the coastal front in order to create organized beaches, while in minutes of a meeting of the Municipality of Sotira (no. 5/90) from 6/6/1990, in which the Department of Public Works, the Department of Urban Planning and Housing and the Cyprus Tourism Organization participate, it is decided to rock the creation of organized beaches in Sotira. Nevertheless, the competent government departments declared the entire sandy area west of Ayia Napa up to the Liopetrio River as protected by the subsequent commitment and degradation of an entire Municipality due to government decisions that ignore any development effort and viability.
Dear gentlemen,
All the actions that take place to the detriment of the Municipality of Sotira have as a result the entrapment of a coastal Municipality in an unprecedented regime, which will be the beginning of the decline of our finances, as the main goal is our tourist development which for us is "superior public interest project ".
Our Municipality through its Municipal Council has decided unanimously in the regeneration of the coastal front Sotiras. The new restaurant "Nissaki Ayia Thekla Beach Bar & Restaurant", which is fully licensed, is an attraction for thousands of tourists every summer season, thus contributing to our tourism product. The efforts of the Department of Environment do not have a vision and development prospects but focus on the effort to promote large-scale projects such as that of Ayia Napa Marina, ignoring and ignoring the neighboring Municipalities, who want to contribute to its stimulation and decentralization.
The Ayia Napa Marina is for us an opportunity for further development and promotion, as our Municipality has a lot to gain from the continuation of the tourist infrastructure within the Municipality of Sotira. On the contrary, for the Department of Environment the Ayia Napa marina is a wall beyond which any tourist development must be excluded.
In the midst of an economic crisis, short-sighted decisions to create individual projects and to exclude development in neighboring areas are an outdated tactic. Such large projects, such as the Ayia Napa marina, should be an opportunity for development and regeneration of the entire area in order to attract more tourists and financial gain.
Our Municipality is unequivocally in favor of the protection of flora and fauna, and for this reason we have already taken action with the departments responsible for the conservation and protection of biodiversity in our area, as well as the conservation, protection and promotion of habitats. and the species of birds which are included in the "Red Book of the Flora of Cyprus" and which are in serious danger of extinction with the creation of the marina of Ayia Napa.
At the same time, we will strongly stand for the protection of our rights for development and exploitation of our natural wealth by any possible means and we will resist any attempts to "confiscate" our natural wealth due to projects that do not belong to us and from which the Municipality has no short-term or long-term benefits to gain.
We are sure you will take our letter seriously.
Sincerely,
George Takkas
Mayor Sotiras
Common:
- Minister of the Interior
- Director General of the Ministry of Trade, Energy, Industry and Tourism
- Director General of State Chemistry
(Ms. Maria Aletrari, Representative General Director of the Ministry of Health)
- Deputy Director of Public Works Department
(Ms. Evi Anagiotou, Representative of the General Director of the Ministry of Transport & Works)
- Director of the Department of Urban Planning and Housing
- Deputy Director of the Labor Inspection Department
- Energy Service Industrial Applications Officer
(Mr. Savva Ioannou, Representative General Director of the Ministry of Energy, Trade, Industry and Tourism)
- President of ETEK
- President of the Federation of Environmental Organizations
- Mr. Loizos Loizidis
- Mayor of Ayia Napa
- Eastern District of Famagusta
- Director - General - Directorate - General for European Programs, Coordination and Development
- General Director of the Cyprus Ports Authority
- General Director of the Cyprus Tourism Organization
- Director of the Geological Survey Department
- Address of the Department of Land Registry and Surveying
- Deputy Director of Water Development Department
- Deputy Director of the Department of Fisheries and Marine Research
- Deputy Director of the Department of Public Works (Maritime Works Division)
- Deputy Director of Merchant Shipping
- Deputy Director of the Department of Antiquities
- Head of Thera and Fauna Service
- Chairman of the Ayia Napa Sewerage Council
- Chairman of the Central Committee of Beaches
Source: SotiraNews / ΦΙΛΕΛΕΥΘΕΡΟΣ