Newsroom
A newly constructed wall extending into the sea at Kourion Beach has triggered public backlash and raised serious concerns about violations of coastal protection laws and the role of the British Bases in environmental oversight.
According to Kathimerini's Paris Demetriades, the structure, part of a private business development near Agios Ermogenis, has been described as visually obtrusive and environmentally harmful. Critics say it directly violates both Cypriot and international regulations aimed at protecting coastal zones.
Environmental groups, including Terra Cypria and VOLT Cyprus, say the wall was built not just near the water but in the sea, an act they warn could accelerate beach erosion in an ecologically sensitive area. Photos of the wall circulated widely online, prompting condemnation from environmentalists and concerned citizens.
MP Charalambos Theopemptou of the Ecologists’ Movement called the construction a blatant breach of regulations. “Vertical structures should never be built on sand,” he said, citing the Barcelona Convention, which requires environmental and public impact studies for any development within 100 meters of the shoreline.
Environmental activist Efi Xanthou pointed to frequent violations of Cyprus’s Beach Protection Law, which bans construction within 30 meters of the wave-breaking point. She criticized the British Bases, which administer the area, for failing to uphold their environmental obligations, describing the wall’s design as reminiscent of wartime fortifications.
The British Bases in Akrotiri responded in a written statement, saying the permit was for a restaurant renovation within its original footprint and that an environmental study found the impact minimal.
Terra Cypria disputes that account, dubbing the structure “the restaurant with the Great Wall” and questioning whether the Bases are unwilling or unable to enforce the law. The group also noted similar issues at nearby Lady’s Mile beach, also under British jurisdiction.
Despite early warnings and public outcry, no official action has yet been taken to address the development.
