Still no infrastructure work carried out in Kanoni after all these years
Kanoni
02 Feb 2022
/ 17:06
CORFU. Roads, pavements and other infrastructure have not been constructed in the area to date, despite the property owners΄ obligation to contribute land or money.
Kanoni, one of the most known attractions of the island, has remained for years without basic infrastructure, such as pavements and roads. In fact, although the area is attracting thousands of tourists every year, no action whatsoever has been taken to improve the quality of life of its 4,000-5,000 inhabitants.
Although the process of town planning of the area has been completed, infrastructure work that would upgrade the life of its inhabitants still has not been carried out to this day. Except from Thoukididou St., the only road that connects the upper and lower parts of the area, no other work, such as pavements, roads, playgrounds, parking spaces, square and everything else that is planned, has been carried out for years.
Dozens of property owners, however, contributed land or even money for works they never saw being carried out. Today, the image of the area is extremely disappointing with the unregulated parking by tourist buses and cars – and the problem becomes even worse in the summer period. Hundreds of families are, also, unable to walk safely, since there are no pavements.
Of course, this is a long-standing problem, which is inherited by each Municipal Authority and yet no progress has been made to date.
“In Kanoni, the process for the town planning has been completed. What has not been completed is the works concerning roads and pavements. Very few of them have been carried out and it is a fact that more should have been done. This is due to the fact that some of the money has been allocated for some other work of the Municipality and that is why they have not progressed as much as they should have,” Central Corfu Deputy Mayor for Planning Mimis Katehis told Enimerosi. He also noted that, wherever new building permits are being issued, the Municipality should proceed to the construction of the remaining roads and pavements in the area.
€188,000
According to Mr. Katehis, however, the money that has actually ended up in the Municipality from contributions from property owners is limited. According to Finance Committee data, there have only been €19,288 in the last three years for the entire town planning, while since 2009 only €188,000 have been received!
“Collecting the money owed is difficult, because a lot of people cannot afford it,” he explained. As he pointed out, the town planning had been abandoned for a decade and the Municipal Authority is now trying to organise it. As far as Kanoni is concerned, the Municipal Authority’s planning – depending on the money it will have – is to carry out road and pavement work, but with an indefinite timetable.
“Compared to other areas, we consider Kanoni to be very advanced. At least now in Kanoni one can build, unlike in other areas, such as Pagrateika and Ag. Spyridon. That is why we are prioritising the other areas that have been abandoned for 10 years now and nothing has been done to them,” he concluded.
The Corfu Technical Chamber
The President of Corfu Technical Chamber Yiannis Metallinos said that the town planning of Kanoni has been completed only theoretically. He stressed that, although the act to implement the town planning has been completed and transferred to the Land Registry, roads, pavements and public spaces, such as squares and playgrounds, have not been constructed in the area to date, despite the property owners' obligation to contribute land or money.
“Although the act to implement the town planning of Kanoni has been transferred, the necessary work has not been carried out. Work has only been carried out in Thoukididou St., but there are also many other roads, pavements and public spaces that still need to be constructed. At the moment there are only a few dirt roads,” said Mr. Metallinos.
The process
According to him, the process for the town planning of Kanoni started many years ago – around the late 1980s – where initially the property owners were asked to submit declarations of their properties, so that a kind of Land Registry could be created and, then, the town planning, the roads and everything else required could be drawn.
The town planning had gradually been completed, the implementing act had been transferred to the Land Registry, but, to this day, the necessary work has still not been carried out in Kanoni.
Although the process of town planning of the area has been completed, infrastructure work that would upgrade the life of its inhabitants still has not been carried out to this day. Except from Thoukididou St., the only road that connects the upper and lower parts of the area, no other work, such as pavements, roads, playgrounds, parking spaces, square and everything else that is planned, has been carried out for years.
Dozens of property owners, however, contributed land or even money for works they never saw being carried out. Today, the image of the area is extremely disappointing with the unregulated parking by tourist buses and cars – and the problem becomes even worse in the summer period. Hundreds of families are, also, unable to walk safely, since there are no pavements.
Of course, this is a long-standing problem, which is inherited by each Municipal Authority and yet no progress has been made to date.
“In Kanoni, the process for the town planning has been completed. What has not been completed is the works concerning roads and pavements. Very few of them have been carried out and it is a fact that more should have been done. This is due to the fact that some of the money has been allocated for some other work of the Municipality and that is why they have not progressed as much as they should have,” Central Corfu Deputy Mayor for Planning Mimis Katehis told Enimerosi. He also noted that, wherever new building permits are being issued, the Municipality should proceed to the construction of the remaining roads and pavements in the area.
€188,000
According to Mr. Katehis, however, the money that has actually ended up in the Municipality from contributions from property owners is limited. According to Finance Committee data, there have only been €19,288 in the last three years for the entire town planning, while since 2009 only €188,000 have been received!
“Collecting the money owed is difficult, because a lot of people cannot afford it,” he explained. As he pointed out, the town planning had been abandoned for a decade and the Municipal Authority is now trying to organise it. As far as Kanoni is concerned, the Municipal Authority’s planning – depending on the money it will have – is to carry out road and pavement work, but with an indefinite timetable.
“Compared to other areas, we consider Kanoni to be very advanced. At least now in Kanoni one can build, unlike in other areas, such as Pagrateika and Ag. Spyridon. That is why we are prioritising the other areas that have been abandoned for 10 years now and nothing has been done to them,” he concluded.
The Corfu Technical Chamber
The President of Corfu Technical Chamber Yiannis Metallinos said that the town planning of Kanoni has been completed only theoretically. He stressed that, although the act to implement the town planning has been completed and transferred to the Land Registry, roads, pavements and public spaces, such as squares and playgrounds, have not been constructed in the area to date, despite the property owners' obligation to contribute land or money.
“Although the act to implement the town planning of Kanoni has been transferred, the necessary work has not been carried out. Work has only been carried out in Thoukididou St., but there are also many other roads, pavements and public spaces that still need to be constructed. At the moment there are only a few dirt roads,” said Mr. Metallinos.
The process
According to him, the process for the town planning of Kanoni started many years ago – around the late 1980s – where initially the property owners were asked to submit declarations of their properties, so that a kind of Land Registry could be created and, then, the town planning, the roads and everything else required could be drawn.
The town planning had gradually been completed, the implementing act had been transferred to the Land Registry, but, to this day, the necessary work has still not been carried out in Kanoni.
