Pissouri residents view the building as an eyesore that blocks their view of the sea
WORK on a multi-million euro mansion being built in a prime location in Pissouri has been ordered to stop by the Limassol district office.
Residents have long been up in arms over the construction of the supersize house which is being built on 2,200m2 of land on a small hill overlooking the village’s picturesque bay and blocking hitherto unspoiled seaviews for many villagers. The Russian owner has also purchased an extra 17,000 m2 in front of the house stretching right down to the beach.
The protests were highlighted in the Sunday Mail over a year ago. At the time, while admitting the construction has been the subject of many complaints, local officials insisted the owner was following all planning permission specifications.
But last week, the Limassol district office confirmed that work has been ordered to stop because construction has deviated from the original plan.
“There are differences from the original plan,” Charis Zachariou of the Limassol district office told the Sunday Mail. “We have informed the architect that they must make new plans which must be submitted to receive a new licence to cover the work which has been done.”
Zachariou said that the file concerning the construction would be passed onto the relevant department to study, along with proof that a new application has been made to the town planning department.
“We give people time to obtain everything, but if not, they may proceed with court action,” he said. But he did add that the changes appeared to be minor.
The unfinished house has meanwhile been listed for sale on an international property website www.world-estate.com for 28 million euros.
Disgruntled residents have sent letters of complaint to numerous authorities including Limassol town planning office, Limassol district office, the mayor of Limassol, the Green party and the commissioner of the environment.
Their main complaint is that the building exceeds height restrictions and that it is an eyesore which changes the entire picture of the bay.
Dietmar Koerner – a 75-year-old German resident – is one Pissouri homeowner who has spearheaded the campaign.
“Many tourists in the Columbia Bay Hotels and on the Pissouri Beach have asked me and are still asking how such a monstrous construction – a demonstration of big money – found the approval of the respective authorities,” Koerner said.
A spokesman for Anthimos Ioannou of Alpha Ioannou construction Ltd, which is based in Paphos and is responsible for the project, insisted that all the plans had been approved by the relevant authorities and that nothing illegal had taken place.
The construction company wouldn’t confirm if they had received a letter from the district office ordering them to stop but said that work on the project is still underway.
A local representative for the Russian owner also insisted that all permits as required by law were in place.
“We haven’t done anything which isn’t legal,” said the representative who did not want to be named.
He added that the owner could build as many houses “as he wants” on the extra 17,000 m2 in front of the existing construction.
“The house will be beautiful when it’s finished and I think he plans to make the rest of the land into a garden; I don’t think there are plans to build any more houses at the moment,” he said.
The representative wouldn’t confirm that the house was up for sale despite it being listed on the property website
According to the website, the plot for sale covers an area of 2200 m2 with the main villa covering 1400 metres.
“The owner has already obviously lost interest in his palace because it is now for sale at a price of € 28 million – or maybe it was his objective from the beginning only to make more money,” said Koerner.
“This building is grotesque and out of place here. It has totally ruined the entire area. I know suggestions were made to the Russian owner at the first stages that a building in context with the natural surroundings would be more appropriate,” said a British expat resident who wishes to remain unnamed.
“But instead of building a more modest structure created out of locally sourced natural materials such as stone, he chose to build a hideous marble eyesore. The authorities should never have allowed this to happen. It’s a disgrace.”
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