Spectacular development for the Cyprus countryside is taking place in the community of Eptagonia in the Limassol district, a fact that the deputy president of the local community council Michalakis Patsalos attributes, on the one hand to large investments made in the area and, on the other, to the search for housing in the countryside by young couples and foreign permanent residents of Cyprus, given the prohibitive prices in the city of Limassol.
As Mr. Patsalos told us, key to the impetus of Eptagonia and the wider region was the operation of the private theme park GreenLand that has a large area for children with many activities, restaurant, sauna and spa, pool for fishing, glamping house for overnight stays and swimming pool with bar. The park employs staff from the area and at the same time there is a large flow of visitors that is channeled to Eptagonia where a large bakery and mini market recently operated, in addition to a tavern, that also benefit.
He pointed out that at the same time there is significant residential development, since many people buy plots for the construction of holiday homes, several permanent residents from abroad are building residences, while young couples of the community now choose to stay in it. He said that within a year there are four houses under construction in the village. In Eptagonia, two agrotourism lodgings are successfully operating, while an investor who intends to build two more has advanced the procedures with the help of the Community Council, the Deputy President of the Community indicated.
Mr. Patsalos revealed that another large company of foreign investors has already bought more than 100 acres of land in the community for a large development but has not yet determined its type. A major problem is the delay in the construction of a new Rural Fire Station in Eptagonia to replace the Station that was burned in the a catastrophic fire and, as Mr. Patsalos told us, after representations, he received assurances from the Ministry of Justice that its construction will begin by April at the latest.
He stressed that the project has been pending for three years, adding that if the promises received are not kept, the community will react with strong measures. Significantly, a donation of €650,000 has been given by the Greek Government for the construction of the station. Pending for Eptagonia is also the creation of a Recreation Park and a Museum of Rural Heritage on the plot currently hosting its cultural center, for which an architectural competition was held in 2012 with excellent results and the cost of which was estimated at the time, at €1,800,000.
The plans concern the creation of a rural heritage museum, library, refreshment bar, and cultural center, around the church and the square. For this project, the community head told us that the permits have expired and the Community has renewed them, and that he is in contact with the Limassol District Administration, which will announce it, as to when it will finally be implemented.
Eptagonia is waiting for the creation of a Green Point, which according to Mr. Patsalos was in the final stages of being erected, an obstacle that arose has been resolved, but nothing has yet been done, at a time when it is necessary to create a Green Point in the area.
