8 STOREY HOTELS REQUESTED AT CAPE GRECO

Filenews 8 April 2023 - by Angelos Nicolaou

Lobbying to increase beds and floors for four hotels in Cape Greco has been exerted in recent days. According to F's information, the first contacts of the Church, as the owner of land of proposed hotel units, and state officials have already taken place. Essentially, the request submitted concerns the increase of the building facilities from five to eight floors, including the ground floor. It is noted that in 2021 it was decided to build hotels up to three floors, in 2022 it was decided to expand to five and now a request is being made for an increase to eight floors.

The case concerns the megaton scandal in the Ammos area of Kambouris, about which "F" wrote yesterday. For this scandal there is an opinion of the Environmental Authority since 2019, for the restoration of all arbitrary and illegal interventions that include rocking of the coastline, alteration of the rocky beach, deforestation of natural vegetation and creation of an artificial cove. However, at a time when the Municipality of Ayia Napa is slow to restore arbitrariness, in recent days floating docks for speedboats have been sprouting up, jet skis have been parked and an illegal surveillance camera has been installed. As "F" wrote yesterday and as shown by various documents, the scandal implicated the previous Government, the previous leadership of the Church and the naturalization of the notorious John Lowe.

It is recalled that in August 2021, a Special Ecological Assessment report was issued for the cumulative developments from existing and future projects in the Natura 2000 area of Cape Greco and specifically in the area of Ammos tou Kambouris. The Cape Greco Special Protection Area was extended in 2015, with the addition of part of the coastline located east of Ayia Napa and now includes the Kambouri – Kermia Sand area, as a compensatory measure for the loss of habitats of the species Charadrius leschenaultii (rock bloom) from the construction and operation of Ayia Napa Marina. In this exhibition the permissible height of the hotels was three floors.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Subsequently, on 3/2/2022, the Director of the Department of Town Planning requested information on whether previous applications in the specific Natura 2000 site can be reviewed, since the incentives will not apply to future developments. Despite the fact that some members of the Ad-hoc Committee expressed their concerns, the Special Ecological Assessment was reassessed and finally the Environmental Authority proceeded to amend the report on 23/9/2022. Based on the modification, the extension of the four hotels is increased from three to five floors and includes the ground floor.                                                                                                                                                                                 In its decision, the Environmental Authority took into account that there is no request for an organized beach and therefore no increase in traffic to the coastal front is expected. Furthermore, it is stated that the illegal degradation that took place in previous years on the beach of Ammos Kambouris is planned to be restored.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    The above modifications of the urban planning regime were made without seeking the views of the Department of Environment and without undergoing a Strategic Environmental Impact Study and a Special Ecological Assessment Study.

Autopsy in the area of Ammos tou Kambouris

The serious environmental damage caused between 2012 – 2014 at the site of Ammos tou Kambouris by the rocking of the coastline and the creation of an artificial cove has not been restored to date, although the Environmental Authority issued on 27/12/2019 a reasoned finding for the restoration of the interventions on the coastal front. As a result, today in the area we observe the installation of floating docks and parking of speedboats, as well as the installation of a photovoltaic panel for surveillance camera operation. The Environmental Authority requests measures to lift these interventions and at the same time asks for information on the intentions of the Municipality regarding the restoration of the area according to its opinion issued 3.5 years ago, as there is a significant delay.

On ecclesiastical land, there is built the mansion through which the Malaysian fugitive Jho Taek Low secured the golden passport, and below we record excerpts of the time and the exchange of letters between the then Archbishop, the then Minister of Interior and the then Mayor of Ayia Napa.

Environmental crime took place in phases, with a construction site working under floodlights in the evenings, from winter 2011 to April 2015. The Malaysian came to Cyprus on September 18, 2015 and through an express procedure in two days he exceptionally obtained his passport from the Council of Ministers. At the same time, Henley & Partners on 23 September 2015, acting on behalf of Jho Taek Low, purchased an unfinished villa in the Ammos area of Kambouri - Limnara in Ayia Napa for €5 million.

The Archbishop, on September 1, 2015, sent a letter to the then Minister of Interior, M. Socrates Hasikos, and expressed his wish that Malaysian Jho Taek Low be naturalized as a Cypriot. His Beatitude then returned with a new letter on September 10, 2015 and states that Jho Taek Low has already invested €5,000,000 to buy a house. The then Minister of Interior forwarded the naturalization application to the Council of Ministers on September 11, 2015, which was approved. On 18 September 2015, Jho Taek Low visited Cyprus and had a private meeting with the Archbishop of Cyprus.

In a letter to Archbishop Chrysostomos II dated September 30, 2015, the then mayor of Ayia Napa, Yiannis Karousos, informed His Beatitude about the restoration of the interventions in the coastal area of Limnara - Ammos of Kambouris and asked for his help in legalizing the beach. In Mr. Karousos' letter to Archbishop Chrysostomos II, the then mayor of Ayia Napa invokes the excellent view and peculiarity of the area, noting that the Local Authority wants to improve its aesthetics to attract tourists and investors. He continues: "Knowing that the Holy Archdiocese of Cyprus owns several real estate properties in the area of Ammos tou Kambouris, we kindly ask you to contribute with your influence and your views to all the competent government departments involved, so that we can obtain the legal consent and secure the legal permits for the improvement of the coastal area and the implementation of the project of our municipality because it is a project of public utility. In view of the above, we look forward to your help." In conclusion, Mr. Karousos told the Archbishop "We embrace your Right with all respect and appreciation."

In a letter to the directors of the Departments of Town Planning and Housing, Public Works and Environment, His Eminence the Archbishop on November 9, 2015, requests the support of the Ayia Napa Municipality's effort towards the implementation of the project for a number of reasons.

BACKGROUND

Enough toys at the expense of nature

In an area of particular ecological value, for which there is an ongoing infringement procedure, in the Natura 2000 Cape Greco area, it was decided by the government to significantly exceed the urban planning characteristics in order to serve the Church that owns pieces of land. The interventions concern the maximum height of buildings, with the direct consequence of increasing human traffic, presence and nuisance in the coastal zone of the area, from the location Kermia to the location Ammos tou Kambouris. The previous government set a bad precedent by changing the lights of the Special Ecological Assessment report. Those who benefited are coming back with a new demand to the new government. We expect those who are debating at this time, with a view to doing new favours to the Church, to reflect on the seriousness of the environmental crime they are committing and the sanctions that the country may face from any decisions taken against the protected area.