There is significant residential and tourist development in the Municipal Districts of Oroklini, Livadi and Pyla, the Chairman of the Larnaca District Local Government Organisation (EOA), Angelos Hadjicharalambous, has said, adding that compared to last year, the number of permits issued this year has doubled.
"It is a fact that Oroklini, as well as Livadia and Pyla, are areas in which great development is observed and the flow of new applications for licensing of residences, hotels and residential complexes is more than double that of last year," he said in statements to CNA.
Hadjicharalambous noted that, as a District Local Government Organisation, the body has taken this development very seriously, strengthening the teams in these areas and trying to respond to the increasing flow of applications and new requirements.
We expect, he continued, that “the increased growth in the three Municipal Districts will continue, meaning it will not be just for a short period, but for the coming years.” “All necessary actions have been taken on our part to be able to respond,” he said.
Responding to a relevant question, Hadjicharalambous said that the applications the body has before it concern all types of developments, namely tourist, residential, office complexes and land subdivisions. "We expect and hope that we will also have developments such as small hospitals and medical centers," he said.
At the same time, the Chairman expressed the belief that a development should include all kinds of infrastructure and therefore schools, universities, medical centres and rehabilitation centers should be built, among others. "We hope that within 2026 and in the following years we will have these types of developments, but we believe that there should also be infrastructure developments," he added.
Asked whether there is a proposal to create a new residential area in Oroklini, the Chairman of the EOA said that "the issue of changing the zones has been examined by the Communities and I believe that within 2026 they will be submitted to the Urban Planning Council, which will examine them." There is a proposal to expand the zones, he said, and added that with the high demand for residential and other developments in these Municipal Districts, the residential zones should be expanded so that there are also available plots of land.
Hadjicharalambous also noted that "everyone knows that when there are no plots available, prices skyrocket. In this context, the zones should be expanded so that there are plots available, so that this large development can be smoother in terms of cost and can be absorbed by the market."
Asked whether the applications before the Larnaca Tourism Development Authority include those for the repair of old buildings and existing hotels, Hadjicharalambous said that "this is something that is observed since there are applications for the change of use of existing buildings or for their configuration with the aim of becoming new tourist units. There is a mix of applications before us and, in general, there is a fairly large flow and demand for tourist units."
Regarding the issue of the inclusion of Oroklini, Livadia and Pyla in the Larnaca Local Plan, he noted that "a first discussion took place and we expect to see the developments. I believe that this specific issue is a natural development, since these three districts are already within the Municipal Boundaries of Larnaca and should be examined accordingly."
Regarding the third phase of the Larnaca - Dhekelia coastal road, the Chairman of the EOA said that "this particular road is being completed with a slight delay. "This project will upgrade the area and upon its completion, vehicle movement will become more practical, since proper infrastructure has been built and I hope that within the year it will be completed and provide solutions to the major traffic problem in the area," he noted.
However, he continued that for a major development such as the Larnaca - Dhekelia coastal road, the right infrastructure must also be in place, "and I believe that it is a good foundation on which we must build, since other projects for the road network in the region must be carried out, in combination with the project that is being completed."
In his statements, Hadjicharalambous also referred to the sewage system and noted that he is in the evaluation stage of the system that concerns the Municipality of Aradippou and the Municipal Districts of Livadia, Oroklini and Pyla and that the matter will proceed with the award of the Engineer in the coming months. "Our goal is to complete all the studies and tender documents so that we can start the construction contracts in the next two years so that this long-standing problem can be solved," he said.
He also mentioned that in Oroklini, the body would be announcing a tender for three million euros, which concerns the replacement of a long water supply network, which is outdated, as he said, and requires significant replacement. It is expected that the relevant tender will be announced in the coming months, he said.
(Source: CNA)
