Prison Park: 41 stremma without a management plan

Corfu Forestry Department has provided a clear indication of who should initiate the procedures concerning the Prison Park: the site belongs to the Municipality of Central Corfu and Diapontia Islands and, if a comprehensive redevelopment is to be pursued, the Municipality is required to secure funding and proceed with the management plan, which has not yet been submitted.

The response was given to a residents’ initiative, which had contacted the Forestry Department on 3 September, requesting action to clean up, improve fire protection and redevelop the park.

According to the service, the total area of 41,363 sq m is owned by the Municipality, while the approved General Urban Plan designates it as an urban green space. Because of the nature of the site, its management is subject to forestry legislation, and the Forestry Department is responsible for reviewing, certifying and approving the relevant management plans.

Clean-up work was carried out, but no redevelopment plan

The Forestry Department notes that in 2018 and 2019, staff employed through a community-service programme for fire prevention, on the initiative of the service and in cooperation with the Municipality, carried out clean-up work both at the Prison Park and at Mon Repos.

However, occasional clean-up work is one thing, while the comprehensive management and redevelopment of the site is another. This is where the main outstanding issue lies: to date, no management plan for the Prison Park has been submitted for approval by the Municipality, the Regional Authority or any other body.

What the Municipality needs to do

The service sets out the procedure in specific terms. In the event of a programme agreement, the Municipality, as the implementing body, must secure the necessary funding, prepare the management plan itself or commission a qualified forestry specialist to prepare it, submit it to the Forestry Department for review and approval, and then proceed with the commissioning and implementation of the planned works.

The Forestry Department states that it will, for its part, provide all necessary guidance, instructions and available information and carry out the prescribed review of the plan.

The residents’ initiative has expressed satisfaction with the service’s response and says it will inform residents and community organisations before deciding on its next steps.

Following the Forestry Department’s response, however, the administrative picture is now clearer: the park is municipal property, the Forestry Service has statutory oversight, and the Municipality is now expected to take the initiative that will turn the call for protection and redevelopment into a concrete plan.

GIORGOS KATSAITIS