Filenews 10 March 2021 - Angelos Nikolaou
The strategic environmental impact assessment (SMP) of the Akamas Local Plan under preparation, which attempts to replace the current Policy Statement, has been submitted, on 5/3/2021 by the Ministry of the Interior, as the competent authority, to the Department of the Environment, as it has emerged from the work of the Urban Council. Any person may submit to the Department of the Environment, within 35 days of the date of publication of the SMP, opinions or representations regarding the content of the study or the impact that the approval of the project may have on the environment.
With the notification of the opinion of the Environmental Authority to the Urban Council, the discussion of the Akamas Local Plan under preparation will be completed and the final proposal for the study area will be submitted to the Minister of the Interior for approval. With the approval of the Minister, the Akamas Local Plan will be published, by notification, in the Official Journal of the Republic. The publication of the Local Plan follows a four-month period of objections. After considering the objections, the Interior Minister formulates a proposal to the Council of Ministers for the approval of the Local Plan, with or without changes.
The preparation of the Akamas Local Plan includes the administrative boundaries of eight communities: Kathikes, Upper Arodes, Kato Arodes, Inia, Drousia, Fasli, Androlykos and Neo Chorio.
It is a coast area, covering a total area of 181 sq.m. Km. and with a coastal front extending to a length of 45 km. The eight communities are in a linear arrangement while their settlements are located on the plateau of the ridge of the area, also known as "Launa". The administrative boundaries of three communities, Kathikes, Upper Arodes and Fasli do not have a coastline. Also, the Fasli community is completely abandoned and dilapidated. In the study area is located the homonymous state forest Akamas, while a large part of the area (about 50%) is located. falls within the European Natura 2000 network, including the area covered by the State Forest.
The local plan under evaluation, Akamas, aims to define and implement the appropriate framework for long-term urban planning policy that will allow the sustainable development of the Plan area by 2030. The vision of the Akamas Local Plan is to promote a development model based on the balanced distribution of land uses and activities in all communities, the intelligent management of resources, respecting the landscape and the environment and strengthening the local economic base, by promoting new and innovative productive actions, with the ultimate goal of prosperity of local people, residents and visitors.
Extensions of residential and tourist zones
-Extensions of the boundary of existing Residential and Tourist Zones in the communities of Neo Chorio, Drousia, Kato Arodes, Tharodon and Kathikes. It is also proposed to expand the Craft Zone in Drousia, to expand the Livestock Zone to Neo Chorio and Inia.
-Determination of new Tourist Zones in Inia, which until now does not have a Tourist Zone. In addition, a new Quarry Zone is established in Androlykos, in order to serve the needs of the Province of Paphos in quarrying material and, at the same time, a Livestock Area is located, in return for the affected Farmers of Androlykos.
Upgrading Building Factors in all cores of communities.
-Determination of three Areas of Specialized Development, at appropriately selected strategic points of the Plan, within the administrative boundaries of Drousia, Inia and between Kathikes-Eda Arodes.
-Determination of a Hierarchical Road Network by the communities to Akamas Park. It is planned to form six separate roads, almost one from each community, which will result in a corresponding number of entrances to Akamas Park.
Urban planning of an area outside the development limit
The Urban Council (PS), recognizing the geomorphological structure of the area and the importance of the natural and forest element that develops along the coastal area but also given the Sustainable Development Plan of the Akamas National Forest Park promoted by the state, placed particular emphasis on the spatial organization of the rural area of the eight communities. The PS has re-evaluated the existing rural urban planning regime and as a result, a new urban planning organisation of the area outside the development threshold emerges, as follows:
a) Area "Akamas Landscape", Protection Zone (Da1-TA, p.d. 0.005:1) – Constitutes the "identity" of the Local Plan and includes the Akamas State Forest, which was declared in Akamas National Forest Park, and private pieces of land surrounded by it. Today, the area (which falls entirely within the Natura 2000 Network) is governed by a strict Protection Zone, which will continue to apply. The possibilities for development are limited and are mainly found in public and infrastructure projects.
b) Intermediate Rural Area, Rural Zone (Ga2, p.d. 0.06:1) – It is an area adjacent to the Akamas State Forest and includes only private pieces of land (most of it falls under the Natura 2000 Network). Today, it falls under a Protection Zone, noting that special building conditions apply to private pieces of land with an additional building factor. The new Urban Zone (Ga2), in fact, incorporates the development possibilities already provided in private blocks of land, under strict conditions that will ensure the protection of nature and the environment. In this light, the potential for development in the Ga2 Zone is aimed at promoting uses and activities that highlight the landscape, nature and rural character of the region. In Zone Ga2 it will be possible to place uses such as visiting farm (new and innovative form of development), ecotourism activities (climbing, cycling, horse riding, etc.), wineries-cheese shops, environmental information centres, etc.
(c) Rest of the Countryside, Rural Zone (Ga4, p.d. 0.10:1) – It is the rest of the rural area, where the possibilities of location of other uses and activities, in addition to agriculture, are more liberal than the two previous categories of rural areas, but are still subject to conditions, depending on the use.
