Filenews 20 January 2024 - by Dora Christodoulou
The Pafos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, after receiving the negative opinion from the Environmental Authority in relation to the completion of the new road network up to Pafos Airport, forwarded the opinion to independent researchers for evaluation.
According to the Chamber, the evaluation for both the opinion and the ecological assessment report has been completed and a report has been prepared which is held by the Chamber and whose findings largely coincide with its preliminary estimates.
The Pafos Chamber of Commerce and Industry therefore sent a letter to the President of the Republic of Cyprus and the competent Ministries with the results and findings, requesting a final decision on the specific project.
In addition to the NLG, the red light that the Environmental Authority lit in the major project of completing the Paphos airport road-tourist area, provokes universal reactions in Pafos and initiates coordination of interventions and dynamic reactions by local bodies. The focus, according to our information, is the need for an immediate reaction so that the issue is kept on the surface before any actions are finalized on the state side.
Despite the hopes raised by the last on-site examination of the issue by the Minister of Transport, Communications and Works, the lack of the competent department in the construction of the second part of the project, considering that environmental problems will be much more important than the advantages offered by the road, has caused turmoil in Pafos, given that on a daily basis the practical problems created in the operation of the airport by the obsolete road that The serves are evident.
The Department of Environment has concluded that the changes proposed in the environmental study prepared by the Pafos authorities to overcome the initial objections that arose are not enough to differentiate the whole situation more positively, all the more so, it stresses, that the existing road to Pafos Airport can, with some improvements, meet the needs of the unit and the district.
This development is in stark contrast to the hopes of the Pafos authorities who, after contacts with Mr. Vafeadis, expressed the certainty that their position that the only influence in the Natura area would concern only a small part of the river of Ezousa that passes through the site, would allow the project to be promoted. Now, this position of Pafos is strengthened, as local officials believe, by the new study of independent researchers that was delivered to the NLG for this and a new round of actions of the district bodies is expected in the near future.
