Land Registry set on Engomi relocation despite objections

THE NICOSIA District Land Registry Department yesterday confirmed that it will be moving to its new rented building in Engomi, despite widespread objections by area residents and the local authority.
Engomi residents are up in arms over the move, saying the presence of the Land Office in the area will adversely affect their quality of life.
“Great disturbance will be caused by the Land Registry’s operation, which will undermine our quality of life. We are angry by the move, and by the creation of parking spaces in a residential area. If we are not heard, we are prepared to take dynamic action, including closing roads,” said Kyriakos Koutsoftas, a representative of Engomi’s residents.
The move will see the department relocating in a rented building, for five years until its permanent housing at the state fair site is completed. The temporary move from its current building was deemed necessary for the safety of the 170 staff, as the current building that houses the Nicosia Land Registry is in a bad state.
The residents’ arguments, however, are supported by the local authority and Engomi Mayor Nikos Pavlides.  “The state has not been receptive to our complaints and the impacts the move will have on our lives. We will take all necessary measures to prevent its relocation,” said Pavlides.
The Land Registry, however, insists that the move will not affect residents and that it is only a temporary solution. “The residents have a right to react, but their reaction is unfounded as the building in question is located in a commercial and not a residential area, while it possesses all necessary town planning permits,” said Andreas Christodoulous, District Director of the land Registry.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Neoclis Sylikiotis has expressed his support for the Land Registry move, claiming that the mayor of Engomi had been informed of the relocation from the outset. “The Mayor of Engomi had been informed and he even agreed with the move. I wonder why the municipality has not reacted when private developments were taking place in the area, but chose to react now when the development is taking place for public interest purposes?” he wondered.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.