COMPLAINTS from beach goers have been directed at Paphos municipality after they recently tore down a kiosk servicing a popular beach in Kato Paphos, as they said the structure was illegal.
“We were right to take the structure away from SODAP beach, but the mayor made a mistake of not replacing it with another facility for the public,” Nikos Simillides, the head of the Paphos municipality beaches committee told the Cyprus Mail.
“We are going to apply to the government to obtain permission to build something there legally,” he said.
However, he noted that the tenant has said that she will build a new structure at the site and will attempt to obtain a court order preventing the municipality from intervening or removing it again.
Simillides explained that in 2006, as the coastal walkway was being created as part of the ‘Regeneration of Paphos Coastal Front Project’, the tenant, who also owns nearby restaurant, ‘Deck’, was given permission to put up a small kiosk measuring 3×3 metres on the beach for the time it took to complete the works.
“This finished six or seven years ago and she has extended this area, started serving food instead of just drinks and ice cream, and added tables and chairs,” he said.
Simillides said that numerous written requests on behalf of the municipality had fallen on deaf ears and the mayor took the decision to remove the structure around a month ago.
This is just one of a number of problems being encountered in the area, according to Simillides, who said further down the sea front, a spat between the “Olympic Lagoon Resort” (formerly “Paphos Amathus Beach Hotel”), and winners of a beach operator tender has led to court action.
He said that a private tender won the competition to operate the beach, much to the chagrin of the hotel, who took the fight to court, and lost.
“Then the hotel put sunbeds on one side, free of charge and after complaints from the tender winner, the mayor had them removed. Legally we have to allow the operators to fulfil the terms of their tender and protect them.”
He said that if the operators decide to take the municipality to court over the situation, they could face hefty financial penalties.
“We also have a problem further along the coast, in front of the Annabelle and Almyra hotels. These beach areas are operated by companies that won the tender process and the hotels are now complaining that there is not enough space for them to place their own sunbeds.
Simillides added that Almyra hotel has applied for a licence to build a wooden platform to cover the rocks there and so be able to place sunbeds on top.
“Last year we removed an illegal structure built by Almyra, which was being used as a beach side restaurant. My opinion is not to allow this structure to go ahead, but it will be discussed at a meeting at 6pm on Thursday,” he said.
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