Tension over the road in Halikouna

The issue came up when the Municipality began the work to repair the damage caused by 'Ballos' storm on the Halikouna road. Municipal Councillors from Ag. Mathaios and the Local Council's President said that the area's residents are outraged and they said that "if the repair of the road will not be legally allowed, they will gather and carry out the work themselves and let the police come and arrest them".
 
The South Corfu Natura Protection Association President Leonidas Pagratis told ERA Corfu that it is probably a misunderstanding because the Association is not opposed to the mild development of the area and its use by residents and visitors. But members of the Association in general are concerned about the area's future, seeing the violations made by some professionals and citizens.
 
For this reason and in view of the repair of the road, he wrote letters to the responsible authorities and the Municipality, drawing attention to the environmental protection when the works will be carried out.
 
Mr. Pagratis knows that the major violations are being made by certain professionals who have a license for a canteen and instead they have built an entire bar. There are also some customers who are showing off their wealth by driving their large cars in the sand dunes.
 
The Mayor Kostas Lessis told ERA Corfu that the Municipality intends to simply repair the road and not to put concrete, while the work will be carried out with the environmental protection in mind, so that citizens can go on foot to the beach. It is basically a 5-hour job with one machinery. However, the Association asking for permits to be obtained burdens the Municipal Services with a lot of bureaucratic work. All the other issues arising from the illegalities and misuse of the area by both professionals and citizens, who do not respect the environment with their large cars, will obviously have to be dealt with and the laws should be observed.
 
 
Source: ertnews.gr