The British Bases announced today that construction has begun on a £48 million APOLLO project that will see 138 new homes for service families built on its Dhekelia Station.
The project, which will see three and four-bedroom homes constructed, was awarded to the Lagan Iacovou Joint Venture (JV) in November last year by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) and UK Strategic Command.
The homes will feature safeguards against earthquakes built into their design, with sustainability also a key aspect of the process, with solar panels, air source heat pumps and electric vehicle charging points featuring heavily in the new houses, with completion expected by 2027.
Steve Turner, Managing Director of Lagan Aviation and Infrastructure and George Iacovou, Managing Director of the Iacovou Group, speaking on behalf of the JV, said: “As a joint venture, the Lagan Iacovou JV are looking forward to putting our long-standing experience in delivering seismically compliant buildings to good use as we start construction on these new homes at Dhekelia.
“Both Lagan Aviation and Infrastructure Ltd and Iacovo Brothers (Construction) Ltd have proven experience in delivering high-quality modern buildings that will allow personnel in Cyprus to live and work safely. We are delighted to be using that experience to deliver these 138 new houses.”
Tracey Fuoco, APOLLO Programme Director for UK Strategic Command, said: “The delivery of 138 new houses represents a major step towards the APOLLO programme’s aim of reducing the risk to life from a seismic event in Cyprus.
“I’m aware of the hard work that the whole project team has done to ensure that we can deliver this project in such a way as to minimise the impact for the people living and working at Dhekelia Station, and I would like to express my thanks to the project team for this.”
Asif Huq, Overseas Delivery Assistant Head for DIO, said: “We are excited to see work beginning on this project, which will provide new sustainable homes for service personnel and their families in Cyprus.”
The 10-year APOLLO programme will see modernisation across much of the British Forces Cyprus and the Sovereign Base Area Administration infrastructure.
