Limassol mayor eyes military site for forest park expansion

Limassol mayor Yiannis Armeftis has proposed expanding the Polemidia Forest Park in Ayia Fyla into land used by the Limassol recruitment training centre (KEN), in what he described as a first step towards creating a broader metropolitan park for the city.

Speaking to Entrepreneurial Limassol, a periodical published by the Limassol Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Evel), Armeftis said the municipality had identified plots that may be unused by the defence ministry and had marked them on maps already submitted to defence minister Vasilis Palmas.

The area in question covers around 40,000 to 50,000 square metres and, according to the mayor, could be incorporated into the metropolitan park now under discussion.

Armeftis said the proposal focused on expanding green space around the existing forest park and creating infrastructure for public use.

“We are requesting the expansion of the green space, so that it can be properly configured and infrastructure can be created around the camp, so that someone can walk, run, and various other activities” he said.

He added that his contact with the defence minister had been exploratory, with the ministry undertaking to examine the request after receiving the relevant plans.

Armeftis also said it is common international practice for military infrastructure located inside urban areas to be moved through long-term, organised planning.

He recalled that he had also met agriculture minister Maria Panayiotou in 2025, given that the Ayia Fyla forest park falls under that ministry’s responsibility. At that meeting, the preparation of a master plan was discussed, with Limassol municipality expected to coordinate the process.

According to the mayor, the current priority is to secure the necessary areas before work begins on the master plan, which will determine the final boundaries of the project.

He said the Polemidia forest area already represents the de facto first phase of the metropolitan park, while a second phase could link it with the areas around the Polemidia dam and, later on, with other parks across greater Limassol.

The project forms part of a wider cooperation involving the municipalities of Limassol, Amathus and Polemidia, together with the University of Cyprus, the Cyprus University of Technology (Tepak) and Frederick University.

Armeftis said the project must first mature institutionally and be included in the upcoming revision of the greater Limassol local plan.

“Essentially, what we want is to institutionalize in which areas the metropolitan park (Μητροπολιτικό Πάρκο) will be located. It is a very important job, especially since the process of changing the local plan has already begun,” he said.

He added that the next step would be the preparation of a master plan study, through the three universities, for the creation of a large suburban park.

Amathus mayor Kyriakos Xydias, also speaking to Evel, said the issue is expected to return soon to the council of mayors to give new impetus to the effort.

The drive to establish a metropolitan park in Limassol began in 2022 under the then council of mayors as part of the “Integrated Limassol Development” framework, with the aim of protecting the environment, easing the effects of intense urban growth and promoting more sustainable development.

A related study was presented in January 2023 by forester and environmental manager Nikolas Eliades and his team.

It covered the administrative boundaries of all six municipalities in greater Limassol, stretching from the coastal front to 494 metres above sea level in the north, across a total area of 12,463 hectares, or 125 square kilometres.