Filenews 17 August 2024 - by Angelos Nicolaou
A request by the community authority of Kritou Terra for the construction and operation of a parking area, fencing and kiosk in the community in order to serve the visitors of the Kremmiotis waterfall, was cut in the process of a special ecological assessment and therefore the same fate is expected to befall the Environmental Authority. According to community data, the waterfalls are visited annually by 80,000 tourists.
The project is proposed to be carried out within a plot of 127 with a total area of 7,358 sq.m. and falls within agricultural zone C3 (83%) and protection zone Z3 (14%). The study area is adjacent to the Special Protection Zone (SPA) "Gorges of Ag. Aikaterini – Ag. Friday" of the European Network Natura 2000 and falls within a passage for migratory wild birds. It concerns the construction and operation of a parking space of 103 spaces, a kiosk and fencing for security purposes of an area of 400 sq.m.
At a distance of about 500 meters northeast of the proposed project, the waterfalls of the community of Kritou Terra are located, while at a distance of about 470 meters southwest is located the residential core of the community. In the wider area there are mainly arable areas and areas with natural vegetation.
The proposal of the Community Authority includes a parking space of 103 spaces, a kiosk, toilets and fencing around the parking area for safety reasons.
The SPA "Agia Aikaterini – Agia Paraskevi Gorges" is an important area for bird fauna with gorges, river ecosystem, shrubby habitats and traditional crops, mainly from cereals, fruit trees and vineyards. Within the region, the most important anthropogenic activity concerns agriculture and mainly the cultivation of cereals and other dry crops. The alternations of vegetation combined with the presence of the water element and the cliffs adds variety to the landscape and habitats, resulting in the area hosting a significant number of bird species.
During the examination of the issue in the Ad Hoc Committee, it emerged that the construction and operation of this project is expected to have significant, irreversible negative effects on the SPA and therefore its implementation is not recommended.
