Pelendri, the once prosperous township of the
Pitsilia region looks forward to a new era of development that could curtail
the exodus of its people to urban centres. Current numbers are not encouraging,
but the prospects in areas such as tourism, as well as production of wine,
agricultural production and cold cuts hold out hope for the future.
The implementation of a series of
infrastructure projects, important for the survival and well-being of the local
people, are among the priorities of the Pelendri Community Council. One of
them, as community head Nikolas Patsiaouros pointed out to "Entrepreneurial
Limassol", is the reconstruction of the bypass to the nearby community of
Potamitissa. Construction works were stopped due to a disagreement between the
contractor and the Department of Public Works and resumed with another
contractor last June, with the aim of completing the First Phase by the
beginning of April. By June, offers are expected to be announced for the €2
million second phase.
Great delays, Mr. Patsiaouros said, are also
presented with regard to the renovation project of the central square of the
community, at a cost of €620.000. Until recently, the Department of Urban
Planning alluded to the difficulty in preparing the tender documents, due to
understaffing.
"We have had many
promises for this project," said the community council head. "The
last one given by the Ministry of Interior recently", he added, "is
that the offers will be announced in May, with the aim of completing the
project in June 2022", with Mr. Patsiaouros expressing the hope that this
time promises will be kept, as there is no longer any pending issue.
A Green Point is in the process of
implementation, after finding a suitable space and it is expected to be built
within the current year. Future plans
include the creation of a park with a cafeteria around the Byzantine church of
the Holy Cross, which is a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the same
area, there are plans to create an ecclesiastical museum and a reception
centre, which will be housed in two listed buildings, one of which has already
been acquired, while the second is under expropriation.
Welcoming the housing plans announced by the
Interior Ministry for the revitalization of mountain communities, Mr.
Patsiaouros puts on the table the request for a subsidy for the purchase of
plots of land divided a decade ago by the Cyprus Land Development Organization
in Pelendri but remained unused due to high costs. "The numbers," he
noted, "are tragic." Ten years ago, the primary school of Pelendri
had 120 students, while this school year, only 40. The completion of the Limassol
- Saittas motorway is expected to augur well for the community, albeit in the
long run.