THE LOBBY group protesting the transformation of Eleftheria Square yesterday presented their official complaints against the new design for the centre of Nicosia.
The deadline for the public to voice their concerns over the plan to transform Eleftheria Square ended at noon yesterday.
After a presentation of the winning design on April 20 to the Nicosia public, it was decided that citizens would have a ten-day period in which to send any opinions, suggestions and complaints about the plan.
According to an official from the Nicosia Municipality, the number of responses was much less than expected.
“We have received comments from only five people however there may be some that have been sent by post that we have not received yet. But of course we cannot control the responses, maybe people with questions have been left satisfied by the presentation,” she said.
The plans of the winning design for the transformation of Eleftheria Square were on display in the conference room of the Nicosia Municipality building as were environmental and traffic reports into the construction.
The official from the Municipality said that it was know up to the Mayor and the council to review the proposals.
“The points that have been made will be grouped and given to the Monitoring Committee made up of the Nicosia Mayor and the council. From then on they can judge if any changes will be made,” she added
Former mayoral candidate and member of the lobby group opposed to the plan, Anna Marangou, said that the response was good and they would continue their fight.
“Today I presented a declaration on behalf of the group which contained comments and signatures from around 150 people about the transformation of Eleftheria Square. On Saturday we will be at the area again also collecting signatures,” she told the Cyprus Mail.
Asked whether she thought that the actions of the self-entitled ‘Nicosia Citizens Against the Transformation of Eleftheria Square’ group would have any bearing on the overall outcome, she responded that people were beginning to sit up and take notice.
“Maybe it will not change through signatures, but we are making people pay attention to this. The plans have already gone to the Environment Committee of the government as well as the Ombudswoman and we are looking at the whole issue from the legal perspective because many irregularities have taken place,” she said yesterday.
Marangou was adamant that residents of Nicosia did not stand to benefit from international architect Zaha Hadid’s plans for the reconstruction of the Square.
“Even though some £10 million will be spent for it to be completed, I cannot see how anyone could gain from this, we will be ridiculed by the European community if we were to get rid of the only historical site and replacing it with such a concrete structure. And all this, while cars will still be allowed in the area,” she added.
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