The development project of the fishing shelter and river at Liopetri remains immersed in delays, as it was supposed to be delivered last March.
It remains unknown when it will eventually be completed.
Amidst protests from residents and professionals in the area, who claim to be on the brink of disaster, the Department of Town Planning granted a new extension to the project contractor.
According to information from Phileftheros, a meeting was held on December 4th between the Department of Town Planning, the project consultants, and the contractor to discuss the observed delays.
Two proposals were on the table, either terminate the contract and re-tender the project, or grant an extension to the contractor until March 2024 to complete the work.
Ultimately, as reported to us, following assurances from the contractor that liquidity problems had been resolved and to avoid new lengthy delays due to re-tendering, it was decided to grant an extension.
However, another request from the contractor for an additional two-month extension is still pending, without anyone being able to confirm with certainty whether the project will be completed by May 2024.
The Department of Town Planning dismisses the allegations from the Liopetri Community Council that work has completely stopped, stating that there are constantly supervisors on the construction site.
The troubled project, with an estimated cost of €11 million, started in September 2020 and was supposed to be completed by March 2023.
Delays occurred along the way, deemed justified due to the discovery of antiquities, and the project completion was rescheduled for November 30, 2023. However, even this timeline was not adhered to.
Meanwhile, the Liopetri Community Council, which has announced mobilizations, continues to seek official updates and an exact completion date for the project.
As reported in Phileleftheros by the Liopetri community leader, Vassos Manolis, a meeting is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon on the matter with the Minister of Agriculture.
“We want information about what will happen, and then we will decide what to do because we cannot tolerate further delays. We ask for the road to be fixed so that people can have access to the river, and the docks can be built for the 30 fishermen to work. No work is currently being done on the river. Perhaps a new contractor should be hired to finish the project. As things stand, it will never be completed,” Mr. Manolis said.
Moreover, the issue will be discussed in the Agriculture Committee of the Parliament in January.
“Unfortunately, the tolerance of the Department of Town Planning prolongs the deadlock, with problems being chain-linked,” said the chairman of the Agriculture Committee, Giannakis Gabriel, indicating that one restaurant in the area has already closed, while the fishing boats are at risk of being destroyed because they cannot be taken out of the river and maintained.
“We will discuss the matter again and request information from the relevant state departments. All we can do is exert pressure.”
