Upgrading roads in Strovolos, speeding up repairs at refugee housing estates and improving waste management planning were among the issues raised during a visit by a Disy delegation to the town hall on Tuesday.

Strovolos mayor Stavros Stavrinides listed greater administrative autonomy, increased state funding and the lack of adequate planning for the ‘Pay as you throw’ waste programme among the municipality’s top priorities. He also highlighted the need to upgrade the road network.

Stavrinides said Ifigenias avenue needed upgrading, while work should begin on the road linking Archangelos and Strovolos avenues and on the Alexandroupoleos street bridge.

He also called for Constantinoupoleos and Demetris Christofias avenues to be linked.

The mayor said funding was needed for maintenance work at refugee housing estates, while existing funds for social policy should also be increased.

He also pointed to delays by the state in leasing properties belonging to the former Strovolos cooperative bank.

Deputy mayor Stella Sourmeli elaborated on problems in refugee estates, saying that there were delays in implementing the ‘KtiZo’ programme, launched in April 2023 with a budget of €130 million to provide respectable living conditions on the estates.

Sourmeli presented a list of problems faced by property owners and proposed that Disy raise the issue in parliament.

Disy deputy chairman Efthymios Diplaros said solutions should be comprehensive rather than approached through a political prism.

He assured the municipality that Disy would support efforts to address issues affecting the local community.

The delegation, headed by Diplaros, included MPs Giorgos Pamborides, Andreas Constantinou, Charalambos Petrides and Demetris Demetriou.

The meeting was also attended by members of the school board, Disy and municipal officials, and Strovolos residents. Residents raised concerns including traffic congestion, illegal parking, inadequate cleanliness and a lack of green spaces.

Meanwhile, Strovolos municipality reminded residents of the need to distinguish between the responsibilities of the municipality and those of Green Dot collection crews.

Residents should contact Green Dot directly on 70000090 if recycling bags are not collected on the scheduled day, areas are missed or other collection problems arise, the municipality said.

This would allow Green Dot to immediately record and investigate complaints and resolve them more quickly.

The municipality said it remained available to residents for matters falling within its own remit and would cooperate with the relevant authorities to address other issues.