Cyprus-Forum.com

[nhowarth]

One further thing Cyprusgrump - you've probably seen this article in the Cyprus Mail, but just in case:

Earthquake dangers in Cyprus
By Sir,
(archive article - Wednesday, April 12, 2006)

I have read, with some scepticism, a report that the Minister of the Interior has recently addressed an international conference on earthquake safety measures in Cyprus. Even though I am sure the majority of builders in Cyprus will do an excellent job meeting building safety requirements, the apparent lack of concern about where developers build is frightening.

A friend told me that, when he was looking for land to buy in Pissouri to build a house, he looked at a plot on the slopes immediately below the centre of the village. He did not buy the property because he was told that the land was unstable and he would never be given planning permission to build there.

Shortly afterwards a local developer built there. The results are there for everyone to see. The land has slipped (taking the road with it) and the houses are falling down the hill, possibly destablising the area of the village above. New buildings are still going up within feet of unstable sedimentary cliffs adding immense stresses to a natural landslide landscape. In one particularly bad case a developer has excavated directly into the cliff some 10 metres below a row of houses. Given the wrong set of circumstances, for example heavy rain combined with even a medium sized earthquake, there could be a catastrophe.

Who will be responsible? The developers, or the authorities who are allowing such risky building? The developers have already caused one landslide. Let’s pray that if there is another one it is not in the middle of the night when people are asleep in their beds. After the appalling disaster in the Phillipines the consequences do not bear thinking about.

GM, London.

Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2006

Time to wake up & smell the coffee methinks.

[Oneness]

There you are! Houses sliding down hills!!! Some of you moaners did not get my point that Pissourri has to aim for the highest STANDARDS so it will be a better place to live and a source of pride for locals.

The problem of landslides in Pissourri is due to the steapness of the hills and the hills being made of a dusty calcium (asvestos) soil. This is a problem material which I mentioned before when I said that this material creates an awful lot of dust in the summer. IMO, the hills should either be irrigated for agriculture or covered with some form of ecological sealant to stop the dust.

Some of you guys dont see that :
* the village area - contrary to your belief I do not propose threatening the lifestyle of the villagers with invasion of tourists! - but to protect them
* the valley / bay area - like it or not, this is a tourist / expat / second home area - tourism supports the welfare of the local villagers so lets not talk about all tourist development here being like a "fire" - isnt it more sensible to accept the direction the bay is taking an focus minds on the quality / standard of the development? the real inferno is where this fails (as it has done in many other places in Cyprus)
* my specific proposals would make Pissouri a nicer place to live in

[cyprusgrump]

Hi Cypusgrump

With regard to the pictures, I can’t place the first picture (picture 13. perhaps you could enlighten me as to where it was taken).

Apologies for delayed reply - hard disc crash - still catching up

Picture 13 was taken opposite the 3 properties that are sliding down the hill.

With regard to your other comments, I suggest you speak with Daintre Hart & the Pissouri Association.

Regards,

As I pointed out in my earlier reply, it is acknowledged that the land you have taken pictures of is unstable and building permission should not have been granted there.

That is the reason why those that have lost their homes have been compensated for their loss.

Your website however tries to give the impression that the whole of Pissouri is sliding into oblivion due to the nature of the soil. This is clearly not the case. Why not present pictures of the hundreds of other homes that are not built on unstable land?

Your website is inaccurate, mischievous and extremely misleading.

[cyprusgrump]

One further thing Cyprusgrump - you've probably seen this article in the Cyprus Mail, but just in case:

Earthquake dangers in Cyprus
By Sir,
(archive article - Wednesday, April 12, 2006)

I have read, with some scepticism, a report that the Minister of the Interior has recently addressed an international conference on earthquake safety measures in Cyprus. Even though I am sure the majority of builders in Cyprus will do an excellent job meeting building safety requirements, the apparent lack of concern about where developers build is frightening.

A friend told me that, when he was looking for land to buy in Pissouri to build a house, he looked at a plot on the slopes immediately below the centre of the village. He did not buy the property because he was told that the land was unstable and he would never be given planning permission to build there.

Shortly afterwards a local developer built there. The results are there for everyone to see. The land has slipped (taking the road with it) and the houses are falling down the hill, possibly destablising the area of the village above. New buildings are still going up within feet of unstable sedimentary cliffs adding immense stresses to a natural landslide landscape. In one particularly bad case a developer has excavated directly into the cliff some 10 metres below a row of houses. Given the wrong set of circumstances, for example heavy rain combined with even a medium sized earthquake, there could be a catastrophe.

Who will be responsible? The developers, or the authorities who are allowing such risky building? The developers have already caused one landslide. Let’s pray that if there is another one it is not in the middle of the night when people are asleep in their beds. After the appalling disaster in the Phillipines the consequences do not bear thinking about.

GM, London.

Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2006

Time to wake up & smell the coffee methinks.

I hadn’t seen the article but as it refers to the tiny piece of unstable land presented in your website as the whole of Pissouri it has no relevance or merit.

[cyprusgrump]

There you are! Houses sliding down hills!!! Some of you moaners did not get my point that Pissourri has to aim for the highest STANDARDS so it will be a better place to live and a source of pride for locals.

The problem of landslides in Pissourri is due to the steapness of the hills and the hills being made of a dusty calcium (asvestos) soil. This is a problem material which I mentioned before when I said that this material creates an awful lot of dust in the summer. IMO, the hills should either be irrigated for agriculture or covered with some form of ecological sealant to stop the dust.

Some of you guys dont see that :
* the village area - contrary to your belief I do not propose threatening the lifestyle of the villagers with invasion of tourists! - but to protect them
* the valley / bay area - like it or not, this is a tourist / expat / second home area - tourism supports the welfare of the local villagers so lets not talk about all tourist development here being like a "fire" - isnt it more sensible to accept the direction the bay is taking an focus minds on the quality / standard of the development? the real inferno is where this fails (as it has done in many other places in Cyprus)
* my specific proposals would make Pissouri a nicer place to live in

Do please clarify your specific proposals – I have no idea what you are twittering on about any more.

[nhowarth]

Hi cyprusgrump

> Why not present pictures of the hundreds of other homes that are not built on unstable land?

Because if you look at the page title it's called 'property disasters'. It would therefore be ludicrous to post photos of properties without problems (although if you care to look at other parts of the site you will see some).

I also suggest that you visit the new development that's taking place on the eastern side of Pissouri (I can't remember it's name). It's perched on the edge with some stunning views. Just take a look as the loose soil on which it's built.

And if you go to the bottom of the 'cliffs', you can very easily pick up literally hundreds of fossil seashells that have been washed out from the loose chalky soil (which in other places has been compacted over the millenia to form the 'havara')

Regards,

[cyprusgrump]

Hi cyprusgrump

> Why not present pictures of the hundreds of other homes that are not built on unstable land?

Because if you look at the page title it's called 'property disasters'. It would therefore be ludicrous to post photos of properties without problems (although if you care to look at other parts of the site you will see some).

I also suggest that you visit the new development that's taking place on the eastern side of Pissouri (I can't remember it's name). It's perched on the edge with some stunning views. Just take a look as the loose soil on which it's built.

And if you go to the bottom of the 'cliffs', you can very easily pick up literally hundreds of fossil seashells that have been washed out from the loose chalky soil (which in other places has been compacted over the millenia to form the 'havara')

Regards,

Why should you present other pictures? Because your website attempts to give the specific impression that the whole of Pissouri is built on unsound foundations and is about to fall down the hill at any moment.

Pissouri is built on the top of a hill of very loose soil and many of the houses have retaining walls to prevent them moving. How long will this wall last? Can you see how it's buckled causing the steel rods to spring out?

Pissouri residents are taking bets on how long before this villa slips down the hill. The fence and half the garden have already disappeared and the unfortunate owner can't find a buyer for his 'luxury property' I wonder why?

This is clearly not the case!

I challenge you to find any other properties in the village that are collapsing due to the ‘unsuitable’ nature of the soil.

Gordon Honeycombe christened Pissouri as "The Edge of Heaven" some twenty years ago when he spent some time there writing his book about the village. Many of the expatriates living there have rechristened it "The Village of the Damned".

As I mentioned previously, I am a Pissouri resident and have never heard it referred to as ‘The village of the damned’

I don’t know what your agenda is – presumably to prevent people buying property in Pissouri so that you can sell them property elsewhere? I don’t have a problem with that but please present your case backed by fact and not ridiculous fiction!

[nhowarth]

Hi Cyprusgrump,

> Your website attempts to give the specific impression that the whole of Pissouri is built on unsound foundations and is about to fall down the hill at any moment.

I have absolutely no control whatsoever what you choose to infer or not to infer from my website. If you wish to infer that it gives the impression that Pissouri's built on unsound foudations and falling into the sea, that's your perogative.

> I am a Pissouri resident and have never heard it referred to as ‘The village of the damned’

You don't get out and about much then. Have you spoken with the Pissouri Association I mentioned earlier - they may have a different view to yourself?

> presumably to prevent people buying property in Pissouri so that you can sell them property elsewhere?

If you'd taken the time to read my website you will see that I have no connection whatsoever with any companies or organisations associated with the buying, selling or building of property.

Regards.

[cyprusgrump]

I have absolutely no control whatsoever what you choose to infer or not to infer from my website. If you wish to infer that it gives the impression that Pissouri's built on unsound foudations and falling into the sea, that's your perogative.

I think only an idiot would interpret your web site and the comments on this thread in any other way! It seems you are back-peddling now!

You don't get out and about much then. Have you spoken with the Pissouri Association I mentioned earlier - they may have a different view to yourself?

I’ve lived here for three-and-a-half years yet the only time I’ve ever heard of the ‘Pissouri Association’ is from you? I wonder if it can possibly be as representative of the people of Pissouri as you tried to claim.

If you'd taken the time to read my website you will see that I have no connection whatsoever with any companies or organisations associated with the buying, selling or building of property.

Then I’ve no idea why you have chosen to be so negative towards Pissouri.

[nhowarth]

I think only an idiot would interpret your web site and the comments on this thread in any other way!

I think I'd best not comment on that

> I’ve lived here for three-and-a-half years yet the only time I’ve ever heard of the ‘Pissouri Association’ is from you? I wonder if it can possibly be as representative of the people of Pissouri as you tried to claim.

I did give a contact name for you in a previous post - Daintre Hart. If you look in the phonebook - the number's listed under her husband's name (Anthony). They've lived in the village for many years.

Then I’ve no idea why you have chosen to be so negative towards Pissouri.

I'm not negative about Pissouri - I'm negative about the amount of uncontrolled, poor quality, property development that's going on in the place and the possible consequences for the unwary buyer.

I was invited to attend a meeting there with representatives from Pissouri, the Peyia Community Association and the Chloraka Sunset development to discuss various 'issues' (and if you look at my website, you'll see some photos of Chloraka Sunset as well).

This meeting resulted in a number of developments, including meetings with independent solicitors and Markos Kyprianou - the EU commissioner for Health & Consumer Protection.

Regards,