Filenews 5 July 2022 - by Angelos Nicolaou
Five years after the submission of the application by the Holy Archdiocese of Cyprus for the hotel unit on the coastal front of the Municipality of Geroskipou, the Environmental Authority turned on the green light with a reasoned finding, which was issued on 30/6/2022. The Director of the Department of Town Planning and Housing is now expected to proceed with the issuance of the planning permission, while the last role is expected to be played by the Municipality of Geroskipou, which will be called upon to issue the building permit. Only after the issuance of the relevant building permit will the construction works of the investment begin, which will last 2.5 years at a cost of €100 million.
The mayor Kyriakos Hadjivassilis, speaking to "F", said that the Municipality has not been informed about the environmental approval. He noted that the Municipality expressed objections and concerns about the licensing of the project with a view to protecting and preserving the archaeological finds and was waiting for a report from the Department of Antiquities before expressing its views. This, he noted, has not been done. From the moment he said that there is environmental approval, it is now expected that the Department of Urban Planning will seek views from all the relevant departments, as well as the positions of the Municipality of Geroskipou before issuing the planning permission.
It is emphasized that in the context of the evaluation of the project by the Environmental Authority, the views of the Departments (Fisheries and Marine Research, Water Development, Antiquities, Geological Survey) were taken into account, which were positive under conditions. In accordance with the conditions of the reasoned finding, a condition has been set that during the works there should be a permanent representative of the Department of Antiquities and that the works for the levelling of embankment of excavations of foundations and pits of the project be supervised by the Department of Antiquities.
It is also noted that after the issuance of the required permits, if additional environmental issues are observed due to the construction or operation of the proposed development that are not covered by the terms of the reasoned finding, the Holy Archdiocese must return for reassessment of the effects.
Furthermore, the terms have included a provision not to make any intervention or works / constructions within the protection zone of the beach, as well as not to make or apply a provision for the acquisition of public green spaces.
The hotel unit consists of eight floors with an additional ground floor and a roof garden with a level of basement areas, in which it is expected that a wellness centre will be built, gym, swimming pool, sauna, massage, etc, 44 parking spaces, as well as other supporting areas.
This hotel unit arose after significant changes of location, but also the forms of the building after the results of a survey by the Department of Antiquities in relation to the initial design submitted in the application for Planning Permission with no. PAF/361/2017 and the completion of its examination was pending.
It is underlined that following an opinion issued on 30/1/2018, regarding the application for the granting of planning permission, which concerned the construction of a hotel unit, the Environmental Authority stated that it will wait at the end of the investigations of the Department of Antiquities to be informed of the results and then with the agreement of the Department of Antiquities, the Environmental Authority with differentiation or not will proceed to the adoption of additional terms in the opinion concerning the hotel. and its final location.
Antiquities are not affected
The new location of the hotel is moved away from the main site of the archaeological excavations. In the area there are the following archaeological findings:
• Building Foundations – A complex of buildings of the Hellenistic period.
• Water pipeline – Remains of an ancient aqueduct.
• Cistern – Remains of an ancient aqueduct and cistern.
Within the plot under consideration is located the church of Agios Nikolaos.
According to the Environmental Authority, the construction of the proposed building, on the coastal front, will inevitably lead to a blockage of visual contact with the sea from Poseidonos Avenue and it is proposed to take measures to reduce and mitigate the environmental impact.
How it started and where it ended up
Based on the preliminary environmental impact assessment report (PEEP) submitted to the Environmental Authority on 25/8/2017, the initial design of the Diamond Essence hotel provided for the construction of 14 levels, including ground floor and basement area with the maximum height of the building amounting to 53.31 m. and occupied a total built-up area of 27,583.40 m2. The initial rate of soil sealing was 52%, approximately.
With the new design, it is planned to build a 5-star hotel unit, with a capacity of 484 beds, eight floors and an additional ground floor and roof garden and a total height of 40.60 m.
