The Akel party on Thursday tabled a bill aiming to curb the granting of permits for commercial solar parks, in a stated bid to protect arable land as well as conservation areas from the encroachment of these facilities.

Under the proposed legislation, the granting of permits for solar parks would be prohibited in five cases.

First, where the land is of “a high natural value”. Secondly, on arable or permanently irrigated land. Thirdly, on land designated as irrigated, or areas irrigated under a government project. Fourthly, on land lying within an environmental protection zone.

And lastly, on land inside an area designated as Natura 2000.

At the same time, according to the bill’s sponsors, no restrictions will be placed on installing photovoltaic systems by farmers for their own use.

The matter has been discussed on and off in parliament for years, with farmers from the Famagusta and Paphos districts repeatedly complaining that solar parks have sprung up everywhere, squeezing out agriculturalists and wiping out pastures.

Earlier, Akel MP Yiannakis Gavriel had cited numbers illustrating the scope of the problem.

He said that already solar parks generating a total of 58 megawatts (MW) are operating in the Famaguta area alone.

But on top of that, authorities had approved a series of permits, for a total of another 408MW.

“To grasp the magnitude of these numbers”, said Gavriel, “today the total installed power from renewables projects across Cyprus comes to approximately 900MW.

“These numbers foreshadow the devastating consequences of implementing all these projects, consequences not only on farming but also the development of the impacted municipalities and communities.”

At this time, some 100 applications for commercial solar parks are pending approval.