The work of the British bases and competent services of the Republic of Cyprus for the determination of local plans and urban development zones at the borders of the Bases, in the provinces of Larnaca, Famagusta and Limassol are now at an advanced stage.
As revealed to the Liberals by a competent source of the British bases, the officials of the Bases and the Department of Urban Planning of the Republic have already completed their work for the determination of the two local plans and very soon they will be brought before the two competent committees for their final approval. .
He added that these are two committees that were foreseen by the initial agreement on the issue, between President Anastasiadis and the British Prime Minister David Cameron, about three years ago. A committee will consider the local plan for the boundaries of the Bases in Larnaca, Famagusta and Limassol. The two committees include all the communities that are on the borders of the Bases and are affected by the new regulation, as well as the provincial administrations of Limassol, Larnaca and Famagusta. Also, the Ministry of Agriculture and government departments, such as the Environment Service.
These committees are chaired by the Department of Urban Planning of the Republic of Cyprus. The next step, said the competent source, is to submit the two plans to the two competent committees for their final approval. The two projects will then be returned to the relevant departments of the British bases for environmental study. At this point the official who spoke to the newspaper Phileleftheros stated that according to the schedule the above process should be completed before Christmas and the two local plans should have been officially published before April 2017. He also clarified that after the publication of the plans, a period of four months will be given for the submission of any objections. However, this will not be prohibitive for those who intend to carry out any kind of development, based on the new existing urban zones that will be determined by the two Local Plans. The objections will be submitted to the Bases Authorities but will again be examined by competent joint committees together with the Republic of Cyprus.
The representative of the bases concluded by emphasizing that the goal is for the whole process to be completed in all its aspects by the summer of 2017. In relation to the developments in the Cyprus issue in the near future and the question of whether it is possible to overturn the planning of the Local Plan inside the Bases in free Famagusta, the representative of the Bases answered categorically in the negative. He clarified, however, two important points: a) As for the current areas of the Bases where there are military points, this regime will not change even with a possible solution to the Cyprus problem. B) However, the prospect of differences in the Local Plan has been taken into account (and this means the expansion of zones in favor of the Republic of Cyprus, he pointed out), in areas of the Bases that with the current data touch the dead zone, or the occupied territories, such as , for example, areas of Vrysoulon, Acheritos, Frenaros, Strovilia, Pyla and Pergamon.
In these cases, he continued, based on a promise of the British Government, they will grant certain lands to the Republic of Cyprus, but with the current Zones of Use, which are included in the Local Plan that is being prepared.
Concluding, the representative of the British Bases pointed out that in the approximately three years of preparation of the two local plans of Famagusta, Larnaca and Limassol, the whole process went smoothly and without particular difficulties.
This is expected to continue and the rest that remains to complete the project, he concluded.
They will be able to build and sell properties Dasaki Achnas, Ormidia, Xylotympou, Pyla, Xylofagou, Liopetri, Frenaros, Strovilia-Deryneia, southern area of Pergamon, part of the coastal front of Dhekelia, Episkopi, Akrotiri, Trachonei, Trachonei.
These are some of the villages and geographical areas that are positively affected by the two Local Plans that define, for the first time in the history of the Republic of Cyprus, urban development zones within the administrative boundaries of the Bases.
In simple words, what changes with the new regulation in all these areas, is that the residents will have the opportunity, based on urban planning criteria and zones as in the rest of the Republic, to develop or sell their property, without to be subject to restrictions imposed so far by British bases.
Source: Liberal