Readers mail…
Richard Chamberlain….
When will the “Developers” and authorities stop destroying the so called “Cyprus Paradise”. I am 86 years old and served my Army National Service in Cyprus in 1954/55. At that time I described Cyprus as a “Paradise” and it was, but obviously one cannot stop development and so called “Progress”.
It hurts me to say and see in the last 10 years or so, things have been allowed to get out of control. The traffic in Kyrenia is almost as bad as London Oxford Street. The public are breathing in poisonous toxic fumes from massive lorries and smaller cars. I wouldn’t mind betting if a comparison was done between London busy streets and Kyrenia main roads, there wouldn’t be much difference in the air pollution. No wonder there are so many people over here suffering from cancer.
Then there is the out of control building. Almost every small and large piece of land is being built on. Olive groves are being destroyed and built on. One drives down a street you haven’t driven down for a few weeks and all of a sudden there is a building site which has sprung up overnight like a mushroom! Already there are literally hundreds of houses and shops and flats that are unoccupied either for sale or to rent. With the current pandemic going on, God knows when they will ever be occupied or sold, and yet the uncontrolled building continues. There was an old saying, “Boom and Bust”. I hope to goodness the present Boom doesn’t end in a slump or Bust.
I am not an expert on the sewage position in Kyrenia, but it has been said the present system is not capable of handling the extra people moving into the town. Somebody said the smell is not good in the Summer. At my age, my sense of smell is not all that good so I don’t notice it! I could go on that doctors and other health services are being overwhelmed along with the education of the youngsters, but to be honest, I do not know enough about these departments to comment.
To sum up, it’s obvious that the once lovely area of Kyrenia is being spoiled big time in many ways and unless the authorities wake up to the fact, there will be no going back. They will kill the goose that laid the golden egg!
I agree with your comments about the pollution but you missed out the major polluter, that being the power stations. The toxic out pour from these is bad for every species of life on earth. Exhaust stacks without adequate filtration and the government does nothing about it. I worked in the manufacture of industrial diesel engines and we wouldn’t even be allowed to test them with the filtration system that Cyprus allows. It is absolutely criminal!!
Thanks Mr Cooper. Yes obviously there are other problems that we all face. I am just an old man voicing my concern, but I don’t know about all the problems. Thanks very much for your comment. I really wish we could make a difference, but sadly, I doubt if we will. Best wishes, Richard
Totally agree with your comments Richard. We can also add to the list the hotels that have never been finished or ones that have not seen a guest for years ,,that is before the current situation .Hotels that come to mind, Four in Lapta , the one on main road as you enter Lapta from Kyrenia, then the Celebrity ,the one by Sarduna , the one on the Lapta coastal walk, we also have the purple one on the main coast road at Karsiyaka and i am sure there are others .Why have they allowed more hotels to be built over the years when bed capacity has never reached maximum. Suggestion stop all building until current empty buildings are either used ,occupied or knocked down . The place has changed but still time to try and salvage the charms . One travel agent once used the words ,a untouched ,unspoilt paradise in the heart of the Med ,if they do not stop it will not be that ,
Hello Ron, Thanks for your comments and support. You have expanded a lot more about all the unnecessary hotels that have been built and still are being built. As we have said, if the developers and authorities carry on spoiling everywhere, then probably less tourists will come and there will be even more hotels empty. Let us hope that a few of us speaking out and someone in high places will listen.
Best wishes, Richard
I endorse Richard’s comments throughout but I noticed years ago the creeping and insidious influence of foreign money being poured into the Island so that every development is cleared by the distribution of the brown envelope to slide them through. It is obvious no local would have approved the construction of ‘Alcatraz’ on the road to Esentepe, but they would never have been consulted.
Hello Albert, I hope you and your lovely wife are well. Thank you for your comments and support. You were in Cyprus many years ago and like me have seen many changes, most of them not for the good. It is good that some of us speak out, even though it might be too late for some areas, but hopefully if enough people speak out some areas might be saved. Best wishes, Richard