President Nikos Christodoulides intervened directly in a dispute over a planned electricity authority (EAC) pylon in Pano Polemidia on Tuesday, assuring residents that the project’s design would be altered following a protest by families living near the proposed installation.

The president was attending a foundation stone ceremony for the ‘Adonis III’ residential development when residents from the neighbouring complex gathered to voice opposition to a new electricity pylon and related infrastructure planned close to their homes.

Leaving the official event to speak with demonstrators, Christodoulides said he had already raised the matter with the EAC and indicated that changes were forthcoming.

“I spoke with the EAC and the design will change,” he assured residents.

“It is ten metres from the nearest house and the design will change. It will take a different route.”

He added that officials from the authority would visit the area on Friday to discuss the issue directly with those affected.

“On Friday, EAC’s people will come here, you will discuss it, and then we will see how we proceed,” he said.

The president also requested an update from Polemidia mayor Andros Theodorou regarding actions taken by local authorities on the matter.

Residents, however, expressed dissatisfaction with the prospect of merely altering the route of the installation, arguing that the infrastructure should be removed entirely from the residential area.

“You can’t just move the pylon by 60 metres,” one resident told the president, maintaining that any solution short of relocation would fail to address their concerns.

During the exchange, residents presented Christodoulides with a memorandum outlining correspondence with state authorities and the EAC dating back several years.

“They’re all making fools of us. Would they live next to pylons with their babies?” one resident asked.

Christodoulides assured residents that he would remain involved after Friday’s meeting with EAC and invited representatives to continue discussions at the presidential palace.

The dispute centres on an existing electricity pylon located near the residential development.

According to residents, EAC provided written assurances in July 2021 that the structure, situated approximately 29 metres from their homes, would be removed around 2023. Residents say that commitment was never fulfilled.

Concerns intensified earlier this month when work began on what residents describe as a new and higher-capacity electricity installation less than 100 metres from their homes.

According to the residents’ memorandum, the permits governing the electrical infrastructure were issued between 2000 and 2011, before construction of the housing development.

Residents maintain they were never informed that electricity infrastructure in the area could later be expanded.