Filenews 22 July 2022 - by Dora Christodoulou
The Union of Municipalities at the last meeting of the executive committee, after examining the recommendation of the Municipal Council of Paphos for a substantial examination of the issues arising from dangerous buildings, set up an ad hoc committee chaired by the Mayor of Paphos Mr. Phaedon Phedonos and members of Municipal Engineers and Legal Advisors for a thorough study of the problems created as well as for finding immediate effective and practical solutions.
The ad hoc committee held its first meeting and decided to undertake an effort to amend the incomplete and de facto ineffective legislation governing the control of public use of buildings in order to institutionalize the regular and strict control of the suitability of buildings after a specific limit, indicatively 30 years and more, with the aim of obtaining a certificate of suitability at regular intervals.
At the same time, the committee will examine practical ways of effectively implementing the legislation, so that in addition to proper prevention, there are appropriate enforcement methods such as the interruption of electricity and water supply to dangerous buildings.
The committee will also examine the legal status that should govern jointly owned buildings, the obligation to institutionalize management committees as well as their obligations.
Finally, it will study and submit a proposal for solutions for the dysfunction that seems to arise from the new Legislations for Local Government that have recently been passed and will be implemented in June 2024. Specifically, with the new "Municipalities Law", the issue of dangerous buildings is described in a special article as the responsibility of Municipalities. However, the tool for the implementation, control and enforcement of this competence, which is "the law on roads and buildings", has passed to the District Councils.
The ad hoc committee will meet weekly with the aim of presenting as soon as possible practical and effective recommendations to the executive committee of the Union of Municipalities. The next meeting of the executive committee of the Union of Municipalities will discuss the phenomenon of subsidizing by the state rents in buildings that are proven to be unsuitable or dangerous for human living and are not licensed in accordance with the legislation.
