BUSINESSES which have constructed beach bars on Yeroskipou’s municipality beach in Paphos will be taken to court and penalised again this year, according to the local district office.
Yeroskipou district officer George Yianni, who is responsible for the protection of the beaches, said no beach bar licences have been given out this year.
“We don’t have the authority to give or not to give licences to these people anyway. But, if someone wants permission for an event or something else for one day, we will investigate the request and pass on our findings to the district officer and they make a final decision.”
His comments come in the wake of a furore caused by businessmen who had planned to run such beach enterprises for the summer.
One successful local businessman who operates a popular Paphos club says he was led to believe he would be granted a bar licence, having handed over €4,000 to Yeroskipou municipality to rent a stretch of beach during June, July and August.
After going ahead with preliminary preparations for the bar, he says he was then told he would not be able to go ahead with his project.
The bar is now being built in a car park opposite the beach, which has been rented for the summer at further expense.
Panicos Skordis, a Yeroskipou councilor said if cafés and bars could be strictly monitored and licensed, it might be an idea worthy of consideration, but said he couldn’t see this happening in the foreseeable future.
“There are currently no licences for beach bars in Yeroskipou and we are only permitted to give permission for sun beds and umbrellas,” said Skordis. “Anything else is down to the Paphos District office. There are bars to the side of the beach in Yeroskipou and I think if we had beach bars now it would be a problem.”
He said one such beach bar, which has been operating in the area for the last three years, was taken to court last year and forced to pay a penalty.
“If they try and do the same again this year we will take court measures and the court decides on the penalty they will be given,” he added.
Nonetheless, the owner of Riccos, a well-known café bar set at the far end of the beach, has continually fought to keep his establishment at the site and even blockaded the road in a successful bid to prevent his business from being torn down.
According to Yianni, however: “Riccos is a building on the beach and so doesn’t come under our jurisdiction, but under the municipality of Yeroskipou. We are only responsible for small constructions”.
Environment Commissioner Charalambous Theopemptou said that having well-run, aesthetically pleasing facilities set close to the beach is generally a good idea, as they provide services to those using the area.
But he stressed that having such establishments on the beach itself is not only against the law but also bad for the environment.
“The law in Cyprus is very strict on this matter,” he said. “After many people abused our beaches and coastline in the past, we went from having a very relaxed attitude to implementing strict laws.”
Even the construction of toilet facilities would cause problems, given the sewage produced, he added.
But beach lover and Paphos resident, 30-year-old Marianna Phillipou disagreed.
“I think it would be a fantastic idea to have well-run and licensed bars on the beach in Paphos and my friends agree,” she said.
“We need to have things like this,” she added, as “the authorities are so backward here and don’t see the bigger picture.
“”The beach belongs to the people and if the environment is being protected and things are done properly, it can only enhance the area and the lives of the locals and the tourists.”
