Analysis of the Community Council’s projects for the years 2009-2012

New Cemetery: After the preparation of the architectural plans, the Community Council moved on with the construction of the cemetery while trying to find financial resources for the construction without having to burden the tax payers of the community even further. 

The loan that was granted for the expropriation of the cemetery in 2001 had not been repaid by the end of 2006, whereas the remaining amount was £17, 381. We have proceeded with the construction of the cemetery’s first wall, which cost €21, 000, by using funds that were provided by the Ministry of Interior. Today, we are waiting for tenders for the remaining retaining walls, whose construction provision rises up to €25,000, while we have obtained the amount of €17,000 from the Ministry of Finance.  

Although we have already obtained a €74,000 loan for the construction of the new cemetery and have made €15,125 worth of payments for the old cemetery, we now have €85,000 in the cemetery’s account, and we therefore expect that the construction of the new cemetery will be completed without having to spend the entire loan amount.

Water Supply: After the drought of the recent years and the subsequent effects on the underground water resources of Cyprus, our community has also been affected.

There has been and still is a major problem with the drilling at the location “Kapparka”, which is our main water resource. During the middle of last year and especially May, the pumping of water from the drilling was reduced from 20 cubic metres per hour to 7 cubic metres. Observing the excessive water consumption by many consumers, we have been forced to take restrictive measures. We have also increased the price of water, this way managing to balance the Water Board’s incomes and expenses, which have always been negative at the expense of the community. 

It is within our first priorities to dig a new drilling, since we have already conducted a study which has shown satisfying results as far as the existence of water in the area of Agios Georgios.

We have also planned to build a new water tank in March 2009 at the location “Kapparka”, which will cost €55, 000. Our community will cover the amount of €5,000, which will be taken from the Water Board’s budget and without the imposition of new taxes.

Plots for poor families: The Community Council, after having studied all possible solutions for the creation of plots for poor families and young couples of the community, has had meetings both with the Eparch and the Lefkosia District Land Registry, as well as the Department of Town Planning and Housing.  After the Community Council’s meeting with the Minister of Interior, we have managed to organize a meeting in our community which was attended by all parties involved in the above matter. Once we had studied all possible places for allotment, we managed to separate six plots in the government piece of land which is located in the area of “Kalogiros”, as well as two plots in the government piece of land in the area of “Moni”. The plans from the Department of Town Planning and Housing have been approved and their separation is expected in the end of this year or at the beginning of 2010.   

The criteria are predetermined and everybody who meets them can be supplied with application forms from the offices of the Community Council as of the 1st of March 2009. The working expenses will be covered by the District Administration of Lefkosia.

Multi-powered Centre and Multi-usage Hall: Seeing the need for the housing of events, recreation areas and others, the Community Council has studied all possible places suitable for the construction of a multi-usage hall in our community. Having taken under consideration the funds that it could obtain, as well as the community’s development with this construction, it has effectuated the expropriation of a piece of land within the community.  

Parallel to the expropriation, the Community Council will move on and conduct a study and architectural plans which will be submitted to the Town Planning authority in 2010, as well as with a competition in order to assign its construction. 

The preliminary studies will be presented in the community in the middle of this year.  

The premises will include a car park with 30 parking places, an events’ hall, two shops, offices, a cafeteria and a recreation space.

For the hall in question, our community is funded by 65% from funds of the Ministry of Interior and the remaining from European Union funds. 

Source:
Agios Epifanios Community Council