The coastal pedestrian walkway of Agios Tychonas is a significant asset of the Municipality of Amathounta, which must be properly managed in order to resolve its long-standing problems and highlight it as a gem of the area, as it deserves, stated Mayor Mr. Kyriakos Xydias in an interview with “Entrepreneurial Limassol”. He added that the Local Authority is approaching the issue with a strategic mindset.
The Mayor reminded that the Municipality has already advanced the city’s strategic planning in collaboration with three universities (University of Cyprus, CUT, and Frederick University), which have undertaken to re-map the coastal walkway and develop a modern redevelopment plan. “Our intention is not to dismantle and rebuild it entirely, but rather, according to the design, to improve the existing walkway and address the recurring issues and damage,” Mr. Xydias clarified.
He added that the goal is to implement interventions that will safeguard and enhance the walkway, while also shaping all necessary infrastructure. He cited, among others, the issue of lighting, noting that currently there are various types of lighting fixtures and different connections, which cause serious malfunctions. “We want to develop a unified plan. We do not wish to address the issue in a fragmented way. We are working towards completing the design so that we can move forward with solutions as soon as possible,” said the Mayor, who refrained from setting a specific timeline. He emphasized, however, that the Local Authority is working closely with the three universities with the aim of submitting a modern proposal to the government, accompanied by a funding request for the walkway’s redevelopment.
Regarding immediate actions to address short-term problems, Mr. Xydias stated that work has already been carried out at various points of the walkway, while the Municipality’s Beach Services have been reorganized and the core infrastructure modernized. He also announced that new equipment such as showers and changing rooms will soon be procured. In addition, new water supply connections have been made to ensure more efficient and controlled management.
As for the licensing of existing refreshment stands along the walkway – an issue pending for many years – the Mayor said that the Local Authority has already contacted the Planning Deviation Council, the Minister of Interior, and held a meeting with the Limassol District Local Government Organization to draft new reports for the existing establishments. The aim, he said, is to submit the relevant applications to the Planning Deviation Council, following the legal – although time-consuming – process, to obtain the necessary permits. He also clarified that if there are interventions that need to be made, they will be implemented and any irregularities will be resolved.
“The reason licenses have not been issued is that the Planning Deviation Council found irregularities. However, we are currently in consultation with operators, planners, and the District Authority, in order to proceed with small but essential interventions that will meet the Council’s specifications and allow permits to be granted,” concluded Mr. Xydias. As is well known, the problems of the Agios Tychonas coastal walkway have repeatedly concerned the Parliamentary Committee on Tourism, which has found that in many places the condition is third-world-like. Weather damage and the poor state of the surrounding areas are also cited as significant issues.
MPs have deemed that the walkway requires a complete overhaul and a holistic management approach across its entire length, along with beach protection works, such as the possible addition of new breakwaters. They also consider it necessary to landscape the retaining walls, where corroded reinforcements have appeared, and to replace the public showers, which are described as “a disgrace,” being made of rusted pipes and lacking any facilities for the convenience of bathers.
