Sotira furious over government thumbs down for development

A furious Sotira municipality said on Wednesday that it will use “all available legal measures at its disposal” to challenge a council of ministers’ decision rejecting a development at Ayia Thekla.

In a strongly worded statement it argued that the decision means the “costal front of Sotira is condemned” and its value is “annihilated”.

That, in turn, will lead to significant investments which were in the pipeline to be frozen with consequences for both the local and wider national economy, it argued.

The municipality also took aim at the ecological evaluation which it said took place without the knowledge of the local authority, and this, too, will be challenged legally.

The municipality said it had expected a meeting between its council and the interior minister – set for July 14 – to take place first, prior to any “decisions that may serve as a precedent for future developments”.

The status of Sotira’s coastal front – near Ayia Napa – has led to heated debates in parliament, as MPs and stakeholders spar over the conditions of the ongoing works, with others raising questions as to who has authority over the matter of the coastal area.

The area falls within the Natura 2000 protection network.

Leader of the Green Party Charalambos Theopemptou has previously argued that the final say on its proposed development lies with the environment department, as the area falls under the Natura 2000 protection network.