Lefkara, Cyprus. Hundreds of buildings in Lefkara are in a dilapidated state, including listed ones, and efforts to address the issue have not yielded results, Mayor Sofoklis Sofokleous said on Monday.
Ownership and abandonment cited
Sofokleous said buildings deemed dangerous either belonged to Turkish Cypriots or had been abandoned by owners living abroad.
Requests for legal measures and inspections
Sofokleous said he had been contacting ministries and authorities for years, requesting strict legal measures, presenting photographic material, and submitting specific proposals, adding that the issues had not progressed as they should have to prevent victims.
He expressed sadness over the death of two people from the collapse of a building in Limassol, as well as anger.
He said he asked the president of the Larnaca self-government district organisation (EOA) to demand inspections of all buildings in the city and province and to have all granted planning permits posted, but said this did not happen. He added he made the same requests about 20 days ago during a meeting in Larnaca attended by the Etek and Larnaca EOA presidents.
Abandoned buildings recorded across municipal districts
Sofokleous told the Cyprus News Agency that in Lefkara and its municipal districts—Vavla, Layia, Skarinou, Kornos, Delikopos, Pano Lefkara and Kato Lefkara—there were dozens of abandoned buildings.
He said that in Pano Lefkara alone, 555 listed buildings had been recorded, with many facing particular problems, and that about 100 were Turkish Cypriot, several of which were in very poor condition. He said a similar situation existed, to a lesser extent, in the municipal districts.
Demolitions and limits on municipal capacity
In Layia, he said, authorities demolished buildings that were ready to collapse because owners were indifferent or absent abroad.
Sofokleous said the municipality did not have the necessary tools and supplies to protect the public from buildings that could fall on unsuspecting people.
Heritage concerns and safety measures
Sofokleous said he did not share the view that buildings with history and culture should be demolished, but said measures were necessary for public safety. He said the country’s architectural heritage should not be destroyed, but that inaction forces political leaders to demolish dilapidated and dangerous buildings.
What steps do you think should be taken to address dangerous abandoned buildings while protecting architectural heritage?
