Green groups urge progress on Akamas plan

The federation of environmental NGOs (Opok) has urged the town planning department to finalise the Akamas plan, stating that significant human and financial resources have been exerted on the process.

The environment department in July issued its review of the proposed plan and made significant cuts to the envisioned development.

Opok praised a recent audit service report, issued last week, which emphasised that the environment department findings on the plan are binding – and that the town planning department must now revise the Akamas plan.

Opok urged the department to swiftly produce its updated plan which, it said, must abide by the red lines.

The audit office touched on the contentious discussion over whether the landowners’ in Akamas are having their rights impacted, and likely compensation, to which it said that the case law of the supreme court must be considered. It noted that a decision could also set a precedent for similar cases.

It added that any decision should serve the public interest and avoid unnecessary costs.

Opok said that it fully supports the audit office’s review and urged the ministries of interior and agriculture to take on board the findings.

The agriculture minister said back in July, when the authority issued its review, that “by the end of August this issue, which has been hanging over local communities for so long, will be finalised”.

Green groups viewed the authority’s opinion with cautious optimism, with an activist telling the Cyprus Mail that “we managed to block the worst of it [development]” – noting that the provision for isolated housing is out, along with the Ineia-Drousia tourist zoning now down by 50 per cent.

A major victory for the environmentalists is the prohibition of scattered and isolated housing, as the department notes that although the road infrastructure is to be upgraded – close proximity to a registered road will not grant the right to construct a residence.

Other conditions for further developments are that they be ‘offset’ by planting trees, such as along primary and secondary roads as well as parking spaces.

Indicative of the ‘win’ for environmentalists is perhaps most notable from Ineia’s reaction, best illustrated by the community’s leader Yiangos Tsivicos – who threatened to dig up ‘fake’ turtle nests.