The Mathiatis Group for the Protection of Historical and Environmental Wealth has voiced strong objections to the proposed siting of the new central prisons in the community. In a statement, the group said the proposed location "cannot be accepted, for a series of environmental, ecological, hydrological, archaeological, town-planning and spatial-planning reasons."
A unilateral decision, group says
The group described the move as a unilateral decision by the Minister of Justice and Public Order, adding that it was concerning that the Minister was effectively pre-announcing the siting of the new central prisons in an area it describes as environmentally sensitive and culturally significant, with particular ecological value and major archaeological importance, before the required studies had even been commissioned or carried out.
Reference to a prior environmental opinion
The group further stated that the construction and operation of the new central prisons in the community should not even be under discussion, pointing to the conclusions of a recent Environmental Opinion issued following the examination of an environmental study for a different project in the same area.
Group calls for alternatives
The group has called on the Minister of Justice and Public Order to abandon the proposal and to fully examine all available alternative locations for the new central prisons.
