President briefs locals on SBA land use

Local land owners who have properties within the Sovereign Base Areas could be eligible to find foreign buyers or otherwise utilize their property, but not before an environmental study is completed next year.

Following the independence of Cyprus in 1960, no building development was allowed within the Akrotiri and Dhekelia Sovereign Base Areas except for agricultural activities.

But following an agreement that dates back to 2014, restrictions on land development were lifted in the non-military areas of the SBA’s.

President Nicos Anastasiades, who held a meeting on Tuesday at the Presidential Palace, briefed community leaders and stakeholders from the affected areas on the arrangements between the two sides, the UK and the Republic, as well as the timeframe for implementing the agreement.

According to the agreement, land owners could be eligible under certain criteria to be allowed to sell their properties to foreign buyers. Other types of land use include residential, commercial, as well as tourist activities. But the government did not provide details as to which exact locations would fall under the new scheme, according to InBusinessNews.

The affected areas include the municipalities of Deryneia, Kato Polemidia and Ypsonas, as well as 17 communities. In Limassol district, the included communities are Akrotiri, Asomatos, Avdimou, Erimi, Episkopi, Kolossi, Trachoni, Sotira and. In Larnaca, communities include Xylotimpou, Xylofagou, Ormidia and Pyla, while in Famagusta the agreement covers Avgorou, Acheritou, Achna and Frenaros.

An environmental study is still pending before the plan can go into effect, with media sources pointing to autumn next year for the completion of the study.