The environmental impact studies on a planned golf course in Ayia Napa goes under the microscope, Phileleftheros reported on Monday.
It said the Ayia Napa Forest Golf Ltd project is close to or within Natura 2000 zone, the special protection zone and the Cape Greco national park.
Construction is planned in two stages:
• Stage A: 2 years duration, with a start date of 2019 and completion in 2021. Among other it includes a golf course, a clubhouse, tourism and commercial development and 100 villas.
• Stage B: 5 years duration, start in 2021-2022 and completion in 2026-2027. It includes the remaining 188 villas.
The proposed project covers an area of 1.037m square metres of which 56.86% is leased state forest land, 13.44% leased state land and 29.7% private land.
The Master Plan provides for an 18 hole golf course with facilities (clubhouse, parking etc) and related tourist, commercial and residential developments ( a luxury 5 star hotel, a multi-use hall, shops, luxury villas) and the necessary infrastructure (road network, pavements and cycle paths, green areas etc).
The golf course falls within the Natura 2000 zone while the tourist, commercial and housing developments are north and west of the Natura 2000 zone.
It is one of a total of 14 planned golf courses planned since 2005. The Council of Ministers approved the lease of state forest land to the company in February 2014. The lease is for 33 years and can be renewed for a second and third period of 25 years.
Initial plans were for a golf course without out developments, but in June 2014 Cabinet gave the company the green light for developments such as a hotel and villas near the golf course in line with the ‘New policy on the development of golf courses in Cyprus’.
The decision stipulated that only the golf course as well as the necessary facilities considered essential provided will be built in state forest land because it is part of the Natura 2000 network, provided their environmental impact studies are submitted and approved.
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