The Ammochostos District Office of the Department of Urban Planning and Housing issued an ultimatum to the Bishopric of Constantia and Ammochostos, demanding the immediate cessation of all illegal interventions and construction works connected to the erection of a monastery in the protected area of Cape Greco.
Furthermore, the Department of Environment, in a letter yesterday to Bishop of Constantia Vasileios, demands the submission of a demolition and restoration plan for evaluation by the upcoming Wednesday.
With the enforcement notification dated 28/3/2024, the Urban Planning Authority (District Officer of Ammochostos Department of Urban Planning and Housing) has found, after being informed by the Department of Environment, that illegal interventions and construction works are being carried out on a plot of church land related to the application for a planning permit in deviation from the provisions of the Policy Statement of Ayia Napa, submitted on 20/3/2024, concerning the erection of the monastery of Saint Efraim and Agia Ekaterini.
The said application was submitted on 20/3/2024, three days after a relevant complaint was filed, accompanied by an environmental study.
The proposed development is located in a plot falling within the protected areas of the Natura 2000 Network Special Conservation Zone and Special Protection Area of Cape Greco.
The said plot is also enclosed within the State Forest of Ayia Napa and the National Forest Park of Cape Greco.
Additionally, based on the Development Ideogram of the current Policy Statement of Ayia Napa, published in 2015 and approved in 2017, it is located in an area designated as Forested Area, while the designated land use pertains to Coast and Nature Protection Area (SPA), and the area falls under a Planning Protection Zone (Δα1).
Based on the aforementioned findings, and since the development is being carried out without securing the required planning and building permit, and because the Urban Planning Authority deems it appropriate in the interest of proper planning regulation of the area that all works should cease immediately and all illegal interventions and constructions be lifted within a period of 15 days.
According to Article 48 of the Town Planning and Spatial Planning Law, if all irregularities are not lifted within the set timeframe, the Urban Planning Authority will proceed with legal actions.
It is noted that, according to legislation, the bishop of Constantia and Ammochostos has the right to submit a hierarchical appeal to the Minister of Interior against the enforcement notification.
However, it is emphasized that even if a hierarchical appeal is submitted, the part of the notification concerning the requirement to cease any construction or other works remains in effect.
Therefore, following this development, the environmental study accompanying the application for a planning permit in deviation cannot be forwarded by the Department of Urban Planning and Housing, nor can it be examined by the Department of Environment and the competent scientific committees (Ad-hoc Committee for Special Ecological Assessment and Committee for Environmental Impact Assessment of Works).
The Environmental Authority in the letter dated 29/3/2024 to the bishop of Constantia, regarding the cessation of illegal interventions and constructions arbitrary interventions within the Natura 2000 Network Special Conservation Zone and Special Protection Area “Cape Greco,” informs him that “following the relevant enforcement notification under Article 46 sent to you on 28/03/2024 by the District Office of Ammochostos of the Department of Urban Planning and Housing, and specifically in view of paragraph 2(b), immediate submission of a demolition plan and restoration plan to the Department of Environment for evaluation before any of your actions is required.
It is noted that the deadline for submitting the demolition plan is Wednesday 3/4/2024, while the restoration plan can be submitted subsequently, within a reasonable timeframe.”
