Filenews 28 April 2021 - by Vasos Vassiliou
The evil with individual dwellings erected on agricultural land has become, to the point that the above policy pursued for 30 years "creates multiple problems in the rational and sustainable development of the Communities", as stated in a response by the Minister of the Interior, Nikos Nouris, to the President of the Ecologists, Charalambos Theopetou.
Mr Nouris says the problems arise because a large number of individual dwellings are scattered in the Countryside Areas.
For this reason, says Mr. Nouris, at this stage the Ministry of Interior in cooperation with the Department of Urban Planning and Housing is working on a possible amendment of the current Policy of individual residence, in order to comply with the General Development Strategy of the Policy Statement, which is based on the principle of sustainability but also to comply with the main objectives of the Policy Statement. , which, inter alia, include:
(a) The optimal use and protection of land suitable for agricultural purposes;
(b) Preservation of available natural resources.
The Minister also states that under the current provisions of the Policy Declaration, both in reclamation areas and in areas produced by government work, the construction of any development, which is not directly related to the production of agricultural products or is not intended to modernise the agricultural process, is not permitted.
An exception to the above, as explained by the Minister of the Interior, is the construction of an individual residence, which is permitted under the conditions of Policy 9(C)(B) of the Policy Statement.
Mr. Nouris stresses that "the construction of an individual residence is a potential provision of the Development Plan under reference, which, especially in recent years, has been implemented very sparingly by all the Planning Authorities".
Briefing Parliament, the interior minister said that so far about 10,000 permits have been issued for the construction of an individual residence. He also suggested that from individual houses fires broke out that developed into devastating fires, such as that of Salia.
Moreover, it indicated that valuable agricultural land had been lost, while the cost of services to the communities ultimately borne by rural residents increased. At the same time, land was occupied which could be used to accommodate livestock and other activities.
The policy of individual housing was implemented in 1990 and the initial objective was to house rural residents or their children who did not have land. It was never a given that this policy would continue indefinitely or that every application submitted would be approved, Mr Nouris made clear. He pointed out, however, that not only were the inhabitants of communities housed, but whole houses were built, as he characteristically said.
Unfortunately, the whole process turned into a profit-making business, Mr. Nouris concluded.
