Fasouri Academy and Sports Hub master plan submitted for approval

Kato Polemidia, Cyprus. A master plan for the Fasouri Academy and Sports Hub, also referred to as Fasouri School, has been submitted to the relevant authorities for town planning approval. The proposed complex would include three school units and a sports centre.

Education and sports facilities

The development would include three self-contained school units covering pre-primary, primary, gymnasium and lyceum education. The schools would have classrooms, science laboratories, libraries, and art and music facilities.

The sports centre would include a multi-purpose indoor hall, gym, basketball, squash and padel courts, football and tennis pitches, a swimming pool, athletics track and rehabilitation areas.

Under certain conditions, the sports facilities would also be available to the wider public for physical education, sport and recreational activities.

Project scale and approval process

According to the study, the project would be developed on 307,844 square metres of usable land and would serve 4,500 students with 145 teaching and administrative staff.

The plan provides for 643 car parking spaces and 57 bus spaces.

The company is seeking town planning approval for the overall master plan, which would form the basis for separate town planning and building permit applications for each development.

Environmental and planning concerns

The proposed development covers environmentally sensitive plots totalling about 360,000 square metres. Under the British Bases’ planning policy statement, the plots fall within Planning Zone Z1, a protection zone intended to preserve archaeological sites, areas of natural beauty, forests, protected landscapes, geological formations, and rivers or streams.

A smaller part of the site lies within the Republic of Cyprus, in Agricultural Zone Ga2.

A total of 10,707 trees, mainly cypresses, mandarin and pomegranate trees, were recorded on the plots. The proposal provides for the felling of 7,083 trees, including 4,309 pomegranate trees, 2,774 mandarin trees and rows of cypresses, while retaining 3,624 fruit trees.

As a compensatory measure, 2,800 new trees are proposed: 1,738 cypresses, 689 pines and 373 urban vegetation trees.

Nearby development

The surrounding area is already undergoing development, with Fasouri Watermania, My Mall Limassol and City of Dreams Mediterranean operating within a one-kilometre radius.

Studies are pending or under review for nearby projects, including the Limassol Greens Golf Resort by Lanitis Golf and residential developments by Emerland Real Estate, Brightbuild Properties and AN Sky Garden.