Dear compatriots,
Today 12-02-2025, the factions of the Municipal Majority and the Major Minority in the Municipality of Kythera, submitted a detailed joint documented proposal for the Local Urban Plan of Kythera and Antikythera, as it was recently presented and has been posted on the consultation platform of the Ministry of Environment.
The view of both parties is that the “mild” scenario 2 presented as “mild” is not mild and the "intense" scenario 3 presented as "intense" is not intense, but these are two scenarios with minimal differences, which in our opinion cannot be qualified as such due to very serious shortcomings in their forecasts.
For this reason, we have submitted a new scenario (we call it scenario 4), which not only covers the serious gaps and inconsistencies of the proposed scenarios, but mainly takes a clear position on major development issues (which are either not addressed or neglected), such as:
1. The non-negotiable need to expand and upgrade the Airport by locating a soft commercial use area near it (as in all Airports) such as tourism businesses, car rental businesses, etc.
2. The need not only to complete the urban plans of the settlements but also to expand them, where there is either saturation or increased interest.
3. The planning of major infrastructure in all sectors (waste water management, roads, port infrastructure, networks, etc.).
4. The rejection of the attempt to create “passport-free” areas, as we believe that, with the exception of very specific areas of high archaeological and environmental protection, the general prospect of residential development can neither be demonized nor excluded.
The proposals in our plan are very detailed and we invite every citizen to evaluate them calmly and without rigidity.
These proposals, even more developed and detailed, will be put to the City Council in the next period.
Our major development objective is one: to halt the demographic collapse by attracting a new economically active population that can live permanently on our islands, based on a variety of economic and development actions for all months of the year. And at the same time, the introduction of special provisions and incentives for the outlying Antikythera, where the corresponding need is even greater and which - let's not joke - will not be saved if they are turned into a smart village (!).
We also declare that we consider the Domestic Property to be an important asset of our country, which not only must be preserved, but also strengthened in order to become a development factor for the island and its people.
We firmly believe that the natural and built environment of Kythera is not endangered either by the rational reconstruction, nor by the development of the beaches, nor by the Airport and the modern port infrastructure, nor by the large public works that we need as a Municipality.
It is, however, at risk of stagnation and maintenance mindsets, from the point of view of “doing nothing to keep my peace of mind”, which are attitudes that do not respect either the island or its permanent residents, the vast majority of whom seek and seek economic and social development, the creation of new and well-paid jobs, the twelve-monthly visitation and the attraction of new population to the place.
Despite our legitimate differences of approach on various issues, in the case of the TPA we consider it our duty to work together, as is required for such serious issues.
With respect,
Efstratios Harchalakis - Mayor
Zacharias Souris - Head of M.M. on the Board.
