The new central prison announced on Monday can only be constructed on the outskirts of Mathiatis if the community agrees to it, village mukhtar Theodoros Tsatsos told the Cyprus Mail.

Earlier in the day, Justice Minister Costas Fitiris told the House human rights committee that a new central prison will be constructed on the outskirts of Mathiatis, following widespread overcrowding at existing facilities.

Sources told the Cyprus Mail that the location of the prison was towards Analiontas, where a solar farm was to be constructed and the project later ditched following protests by the surrounding villages.

Asked to comment on Fitiris’ announcement, Tsatsos said Mathiatis is already chock-a-block with two army camps, archaeological sites, churches and farms, while 60 per cent of the land around the village belongs to Turkish Cypriots and was thus not up for development.

Although he did not rule out that the community as a whole would ultimately agree to the central prison being brought to the area, he said discussions had not yet begun.

“The prison would take up a huge expanse of land and the village doesn’t have any more space to make money. About 50 to 70 farms could be accommodated on the land” earmarked for the prison, Tsatsos told the Cyprus Mail.

The decision on whether to agree to the prison being built in Mathiatis will depend on how the ministry responds to a list of preconditions.

Fitiris had earlier said that the location had been presented to the community and “there is no objection to the construction”.

Tsatsos said they had been informed at a meeting of the intention to promote the project, however “we were not aware of a decision”.

“It is not easy to reach an agreement. The project has to be presented to the community, environmental impact studies have to be carried out,” he explained.

Among the preconditions the community will set out are the measures to protect the environment, the archaeological sites, the farms and subsequently the income of the farmers, and the game areas.