The latest extension until the end of July to allow time to find a consultant to carry out a study into constructing a combined marina and cruise ship docking facility in Kissonerga is scuppering plans to develop the wider area, community leader George Stylianou told the Cyprus Mail on Monday.
He said it is now widely believed that it will be five years at the earliest before Paphos will see a marina, due to be constructed at Potima Bay in Kissonerga.
“It is a frustrating situation as this is now holding back the Kissonerga development programme and affecting the entire community. We were hoping that we would be able to put in break waters, ten are planned, in the sea running parallel to Potima beach. This beach is around 1.5 kilometres long, and would be the largest organised beach for Paphos,” he said.
This would mean the waters would be more suitable to swimmers, as much of the coast here is currently too dangerous to swim, and possibly see five similar organised beach areas, like the one already there, which brings in a substantial income.
“This would raise millions which would be invested and ploughed back into Kissonerga to provide a better level of life for residents,” he said. “It’s all tied up to the marina and still there is no end in sight,”
Initially, the proposal to cater for cruise ships was earmarked for Kato Paphos harbour, however it was then suggested to combine the facility with a proposed marina in Kissonerga as the antiquities department said the development would have a negative impact on the archaeological environment of the area.
The local community leader said that the chosen consultant would have nine months from the end of July to submit the proposal to create a marina/dock in the area to see if they can operate side by side. After that, and taking into consideration the findings of the study, the terms of a new competition (tender) to undertake the project would be announced.
“It will take at least another two years to announce and award the tender, and that’s before any construction even gets underway. Work won’t get underway for at least three years, at the earliest if there are no objections, as has been the case in the past,” he said.
Following interest by international companies, the tourism ministry extended a tender deadline to find a consultant. The design for a marina in Potima (Kissonerga) will accommodate 1,000 boats, which is a ‘huge’ scale for the area.
In the last 20 years or so, developers have been selling homes in the area of the back of the marina, Stylianou said, it’s misleading people.
“The beach, breakers and marina will probably be completed when we’re all too old to swim or enjoy it anyway,” he said.
