Filenews 27 December 2020
In 2021, eight projects with a total budget of 13 million euros are launched to upgrade limassol districts. At the same time, the implementation of the agreement on affordable housing signed between limassol municipality and KOAG and provides for the construction of building complexes that will house more than 600 families. Apart from the above, it seems that it is only a matter of time before the construction of flood defences in Limassol. For all the above, but also for a number of other actions and actions of the Limassol Municipality, speaks to "F", the mayor Nikos Nikolaidis.
- Let's start, Mr. Mayor, with the pandemic and its social impact, especially on vulnerable economic groups. How do you manage to date as a Municipality the many cases of your citizens who are addressed to you, seeking some help?
-The economic distress and social isolation brought by the pandemic, sharpened the existing or underlying social problems in our city. A portion of our fellow citizens, unable to manage on their own the psychological stress and problems of their daily lives in the new conditions, turned to their municipality for help. The Limassol Municipality could not leave any citizens in need, helpless and tried to respond to these cases in every possible way. We have strengthened and upgraded existing programs, such as the Social Grocery, the Municipal Center for the Reintegration of Homeless People, the School Social Workers Program to support immigrant families, the Social Worker program on the way to support third-country nationals, and at the same time we have created new services, such as the Emergency Center. The Social Officers and Psychologists of the Municipality, as well as many volunteers responded to hundreds of appeals from our fellow citizens who found themselves in dead ends. For our Municipality, social solidarity with our vulnerable fellow citizens is Lydia stone that judges our quality and value as a society.
-But let us return to the pandemic, to see the economic impact it has also had on the Municipality of Limassol. Really, how do you see yourself standing up after such a blow? And without "fluid" how do your development plans materialize?
- The pandemic to date has cost our municipality a loss of revenue of about 3 million euros. Huge efforts have been made to re-evaluate all the funds and significantly reduce the elastic costs of the municipality in order to have a balanced budget for 2021. Our goal was on the one hand to continue to improve the quality of the daily life of our citizens and on the other hand not to victimize any development project with substantial benefit to the local community and which in addition would make a significant contribution to the economic recovery from the pandemic crisis. Of paramount importance to us are the projects to upgrade and stimulate the districts of Limassol, the projects concerning the digital upgrading of the municipality and the modernisation of the services provided to the citizens, and the major flood defence projects. Parallel aim is not to affect the crisis the major infrastructure projects of Limassol, such as the regeneration of the area between Marina and the new Port (Aktia Street), the second and third phase of the redevelopment of Agia Phylaxis Street, the completion of the connection of the Coastal Avenue with Franklin Roosevelt, the completion of Evagora Lanitis west, the design of the North Bypass, the bypass of the center of Agia Phyla , the reconstructions of the main roads of the city, such as Omonia, Miltonos, Griva Digenis, and Gladstonos, and the promotion of the projects of the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan related to traffic.
-The truth is that as a municipality you are exploiting important European funds which are being used to create a number of important development projects that the city needs. We read that the processes for The Environmental Neighbourhoods are already at an advanced stage.
-In 2021 8 projects begin in the limassol districts, with a total budget of 13 million euros. Our great goal of upgrading the districts is beginning to be realized. On 26/11 the offer for construction work for the Environmental Neighbourhood in Omonia was launched. The second Environmental Neighbourhood, in Agios Spyridonas, is expected to be offered in January 2021. The third Environmental Neighbourhood, Agios Nikolas, is planned to be offered for construction before the summer of 2021. The very important project of the redevelopment of the historical center of Agia Phyla is expected to be announced within days. The redevelopment of the eagle's land, in the districts of Agios Ioannis and Apostolos Andreas, has already begun to be constructed. For two other projects, the Event Area in the Settlement of Agia Phyla and the park on Dimitrios Christodoulou Street in the Agios Georgios Havouzas District, offers have also been announced. The project of creating a large park on Gogen Street in Zakaki was presented to local residents in early December and is expected to be offered in the first four months of 2021. All these projects aim to make Limassol's neighbourhoods more attractive, more humane and safer for children and the disabled.
- You recently announced an ongoing campaign for a clean city. The fact that you have strengthened the Cleaning Service with additional manpower and new machines, do you think it is enough to win the bet?
-Our municipality recently launched the "Clean Limassol" campaign. The campaign consists of a series of parallel actions, which include strengthening the staff of the Municipality, replacing old and buying new equipment, purchasing new waste bins for public places and subsidising the purchase of household waste bins, installing large Automatic Mechanical Composters, installing sunken and semi-submerged bins and launching (in 2021) a pilot programme of separate collection at the source of recyclable and organic waste "Pay As much as I fly – PDO" with a prepaid bag.
A key element of the "Clean Limassol" campaign is the cooperation and contribution of the citizens. That is why the Municipality invited the citizens to participate by supporting the efforts of the municipal services to substantially improve the urban environment. Municipality and citizens together, we can make the city we love a model in terms of cleanliness.
-The center of the city and especially the area of the Castle sinks every time extreme weather events occur. For years, citizens have been hearing about flood defences, but they seem to be taking too long. What have you done about it? And when will words and announcements finally become deeds?
-Despite the strong mobilization of municipal services, the deficiencies in the flood defences of the city lead with every possible rainfall to great inconvenience of our citizens. These shortcomings, we have rushed from the very first moment, to correct, by promoting projects that have not been done all these years. And in the center of the city and in the northern districts of Limassol. The works are finally starting. The contract for 13 flood defence projects, with a total budget of 17 million euros, has been awarded for projects in the areas north of Spyros Kyprianou (Agios Phylas, Ekali, Agios Georgios, etc.) and work begins immediately. The completion of the study on the very important projects for the city centre (Agios Phylaxis, Navarinou, Thessaloniki Gladstinos) is also being promoted quickly, which unfortunately were not promoted when the regeneration projects of the city centre were constructed.
- Since we are in social policy, let us know if there is anything new about that ambitious plan and the agreement you have signed with the CMO on affordable housing.
-The Agreement of the Municipality and KOAG for the construction of about 600 residential units of affordable housing in 3 municipal blocks will help hundreds of our fellow citizens, such as young couples, low-income families and students, to acquire or rent housing at affordable prices. The total value of the project exceeds €100 million, making it the largest housing project done in our country with the involvement of a municipal authority. The latest developments regarding the project concern the decision of the Minister of the Interior to diversify the incentives for affordable housing, which ensures for all 3 municipal blocks the possibility of 45% over-construction thus increasing the viability of the whole project. Preliminary architectural planning is coming to an end soon and the Municipality will finalise the terms of the agreement with KOAG. The whole project will take place in 3 phases, the first of which is expected to begin construction at the end of 2021-early 2022.
«Sustainable urban development for the centre and the coastal front of Limassol"
- It's been a painful story, and it's still traffic in your town. Especially those who use roundabouts, they have a lot to... Recount.
-After many years of inactivity or inadequate measures for the traffic problem of our city, the completion of the first Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SDAC) gave a prospect of solving it. The SDAC proposes multidimensional measures including one-way roads, pedestrianisations, cycle paths, parking spaces in strategic locations, Park and Ride and, of course, strengthening public transport. The total cost of implementing the Limassol SDAC is estimated at €390 million, of which €60 million will have to be secured by our municipality. The municipality is already making moves to secure co-financing for a number of SDAC projects, both in the city centre and in other areas. If there is the political will of the state to allocate the appropriate funds then we can be optimistic about gradual improvement and effective treatment of traffic over 10-15 years. The recent award of the project for the installation of smart traffic lights at the traffic junction of Agia Phyla sends an optimistic message.
-And something similar: You've launched the Park and Ride system for quick and free access to the city centre. It pays off or the world continues to... avoids buses?
-The Park and Ride system for fast and free access to the recently opened city centre was an attempt by the municipality to give a strong boost to the public passenger transport system. Because the traffic problem in our city, as in all cities, cannot be solved without public transport. This first but essential step, with its 2 circular routes and 42 total routes serving free students and employees, can be a big leap for public transport in Limassol. The system started very well, but the conditions of the pandemic did not allow it to develop fully yet. Our Municipality continues to inform and advertise the system, and I am sure that citizens will embrace it as they embraced similar systems that served them, e.g. buses to airports.
What is further needed is a sufficient number of such systems both to serve the city centre and the areas north of the motorway (Agia Phyla, Ekali, etc.).
-With technology and in general with innovation it seems that the Municipality of Limassol is doing well, greatly facilitating its citizens in the easy access and handling of their cases related to the municipal service.
-The Limassol Municipality has set very high on its priorities the need to adopt new innovative technologies in its operation and in communication with the public, in order to modernise, operate more efficiently and serve the public more effectively. In recent years there have been many innovative actions of the municipality and even more are planned. Such actions are the new website, the Calling Center, internet payments, the new application "LEMESOU REPUBLIC", the smart stops (in collaboration with the ETAL), the single parking management system, the smart LED street lighting, the 3D virtual navigations of 6 cultural infrastructures of the Municipality, the digitization of files and the modernization of digital infrastructure of the municipal machine that will be the basis for an integrated internet service of the public. The aim of our Municipality is to adopt an integrated innovation and digital policy strategy, and to this end we cooperate with the relevant Ministry of State.
-Many have welcomed your recent announcements on the strategic plan for Limassol 2027.
-With the completion of development interventions in the city centre and on the coastal front, the question was urgently asked, in what direction, developmentally, should our city move? As a municipal authority, we have seen as a key development objective the strengthening of the direction of sustainable urban development for our city, promoting an integrated approach that includes economic, social and environmental aspects, which are mutually reinforcing. In practice, this means guiding the development initiatives for the city, which until recently had a specific location in the city centre and on the coastal front, towards the whole municipality, but also the wider urban area of Greater Limassol. The 6 municipalities of Limassol have contributed to a development cooperation, entitled "Integrated Limassol Development (O.L.A.)", which seeks not only to bring together our forces, but to multiply the results of our efforts. The main objective of this development cooperation is to develop in the medium term a wider urban area with the characteristics of a smart, green, cohesive, citizen-friendly, business-friendly city that supports social cohesion, innovation and entrepreneurship. The financing of development proposals will seek to be multi-collective and to rely on both Community and national resources.
