A total of 226 unsafe buildings have been recorded across the city and district of Paphos, with the wider issue set to be discussed next Tuesday at a meeting in Nicosia involving the presidents of all five district self-governance organisations, the Cyprus Scientific and Technical Chamber and the Union of Municipalities.
Speaking to CNA, Paphos EOA President Charalambos Pittokopitis said the meeting will focus on dangerous and dilapidated buildings and on strengthening coordination between the relevant bodies.
He said the aim is to make use of cooperation with ETEK to carry out a fresh inspection of all buildings already listed as dangerous, so that records can be updated and their current condition accurately assessed.
According to the latest data, 226 dilapidated buildings have been recorded in the city and district of Paphos. Of these, 71 are located within the municipal boundaries of Paphos, with 10 to 12 considered to be in a more dangerous condition. A further 109 unsafe properties have been identified in communities, while 46 are located in the municipality of Polis Chrysochous.
Pittokopitis said most of the unsafe buildings in communities are unoccupied. The more serious concern, however, is in Paphos itself, where some apartment blocks that have been classified as dangerous are still inhabited.
He said he and the EOA’s responsible civil engineer had carried out on-site inspections of the buildings in question to reduce the risk of possible collapses. Their assessment found no immediate danger of collapse, but further checks will be carried out and, where necessary, measures will be taken under the powers provided by current legislation.
Referring to a service meeting held earlier this week, Pittokopitis said officials had also discussed the procedure that will be followed from now on in handling such cases. Instructions were issued for the securing of evacuation orders where deemed necessary.
He also underlined the need for immediate cooperation with the Legal Service and the House of Representatives in order to push forward legislative changes to address existing gaps. As he noted, the current procedures are particularly time-consuming, increasing the risk of undesirable developments.
Source: CNA