Citizens of Larnaca staged a protest today in front of the main entrance of Pattichio Park against the redevelopment of the park.The Wetland Protection Group of Aliki reports, “The Municipality of Larnaca has commenced works to redesign the area, including the construction of a restaurant, footbridge, dog park, playground, and botanical garden. The project also includes parking facilities on Artemidos Avenue, within the park. The €7 million project is co-financed by the EU.”The wetland protection group “protests against the redevelopment projects, which, as stated in a memorandum submitted to the Parliamentary Environmental Committee on Wednesday, March 13, fall within the Natura 2000 Network, Special Conservation Area (SCA), and Special Protection Zone (SPZ) forest land.”They state that “the reasoned assessment of the Department of Environment does not equate to the necessary Environmental Impact Assessment, through which the project should have passed in such a sensitive area. Furthermore, it has not taken into account that to date, there has been no inventory of protected species of flora and fauna in the park, nor have existing other covers been considered, either licensed (Tekke Halal Sultan) or planned for the future (Agios Charalambous area).”They add that “the Municipality of Larnaca, because it did not proceed with public consultation as it was obliged under the Archon Agreement and Law 119/2004 passed by the Parliament and faced with reactions, announced revisions to the project, resulting in approved plans being altered, without being announced, however.”The protesters demand “a complete suspension of works until the submission of a revised general spatial plan for the redevelopment of Pattichio Park based on the latest decisions of the municipal council.”The protest was attended by the Movement of Ecologists-Citizen Cooperation with its President, George Perdikis, Active Citizens-United Cypriot Hunters Movement, and Larnaca Members of Parliament.Park redevelopment. protest, redevelopment, park
