The fate of Alassa is inextricably linked with the Kouris dam, which on the one hand endows it with the idyllic landscape of the water element, but on the other, it is somewhat of a curse for those who own property in it, according to the President of its Community Council. Emilios Ttofalis emphasizes that the state has not compensated the community, whose administrative area can not be developed and has no value. "No one is interested in buying land in the community, which is only 14 kilometres from the center of Limassol," he said.
The only good thing that Alassa saw from the state, was, according to the Community head, the decision to separate 20 plots through the Housing Plan for the Allocation to Low-Income Families, which was exceptionally approved by the Council of Ministers in October. The community's hopes for development concern a total of 76 plots of land, which will be gradually separated and given to new couples, who intend to have permanent residence in the community.
The community that conducted an environmental study and obtained permits, seeks through them, to discourage people from moving to urban areas. Mr. Ttofalis stressed that the minimum the community is asking for is the designation of its land its land as agricultural, so that there is at least limited development, not in the areas that are adjacent to the dam.
Back in the year 2008, the Council of Ministers had upgraded the building coefficients in zones that allowed the creation of residential and holiday facilities, near the dam. However, at the beginning of 2021, the government revoked this previous decision. The 2008 decision had provoked a strong reaction from the Cyprus Scientific and Technical Chamber, the Water Boards and Environmental organizations. In this context, a private company that had applied for a planning permit for the implementation of a single mixed development project in the area, was turned down in 2021.
