A coastal road connecting Paphos airport with the Paphos-Geroskipou tourist area was not granted an environmental permit, it emerged on Wednesday, with environmental NGO BirdLife Cyprus hailing the move as a ‘victory for nature’.

According to a social media post by the NGO, the road in question had been in the works since 2005, with proposals for various iterations rejected over the years by the environmental authority, the reason being the effects it would have on the species and habitats of the area.

The proposed road would cross the Ezousa river, specifically the Diarizos, Ezousa and Xerou estuaries, which fall within the Natura 2000 protected area.

It was estimated that if built, it would have impacts on migratory birds of prey, such as the Troullourida (Eurasian stone-curlew) and others, as well as a green and Caretta Caretta turtle nesting beach.

“The environmental authority notes that since the alternative of improving/upgrading the existing road is available, the benefits from the creation of the proposed road do not justify the serious degradation of the environment that the construction of said road will bring,” BirdLife said.

The NGO called this “a victory for nature”, adding however that the project may still be approved if it is declared by the cabinet as a project of “highest public interest”, a phenomenon that seems to plague projects that do not receive environmental approval.

BirdLife ended the post by addressing a question to the cabinet and the public: “With such a high density of roads in Cyprus, what can the public interest be for an environmentally destructive road that saves us… five to six minutes of driving?”