Monday 30/11/2020
To:
- Municipal Council of South Kynouria
- Mayor of South Kynouria Mr. Lysicatos
- Regional Council of Peloponnese
On Friday 13/11/2020, the Municipality was invited to take a decision on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the project "22 MW SOLAR ELECTRIC ENERGY PRODUCTION STATION (EEPP) IN THE LOCATION "KOROMILIA", MUNICIPALITY OF SOUTHERN KYNOURIA, P.E. ARKADIA, PELOPONESE REGION". The Municipal Council (Municipal Council), against 8 votes (8 in favour - 7 against - 2 present and 4 absent) took a positive decision / gave a positive opinion as to the installation of the said project.
The project involves the installation of 11 wind turbines, with a total height of 162m (pylon and blade) and a total power of 22 MW, just above and to the left of the red rock of Leonidi, a historical and traditional site and only 1800m from the settlement of Vaskina. The implementation and operation of the project requires a number of accompanying projects, such as:
- Opening of new access roads with a total length of ~5km
- Construction of plazas at the base of each wind turbine
- Construction of an internal medium voltage network for the interconnection of the wind turbines, with a length of approximately 4.832,96 m.
- Construction of an external medium-voltage grid for the interconnection of the wind farm with the substation, with a length of approximately 3,373.45 m.
- Construction of a control house with a surface area of approximately 80 m2
This decision caused the surprise of the stakeholders of the area as, a few days ago, on the one hand, the Board had voted negatively on the installation of A / G in Kosmas, and on the other hand, in a meeting that had a representative of the Commercial Association and the Climbing and Mountaineering Association of Leonid with the Mayor in his office, had pledged to protect the area from wind turbines, following the concern we expressed to him about the negative impact of installing wind turbines on the economy and tourism of the area, which is directly related to it.
What changed in a few days and the Board decided positively?
How can it be that all over Greece, especially in tourist areas, residents, institutions and municipalities move against this kind of facilities and in our country, the Board itself, rolls out the red carpet for them? Already 27 Municipalities (including the Municipality of Monemvasia and the President of the Central Union of Municipalities of Greece) have set up a front against wind turbines, not because they are opposed to RES, but because of the procedure by which they are sited, licensed, etc., without taking into account the specific historical, cultural and aesthetic characteristics of the landscapes of their municipalities, the carrying capacity of their areas and the balance between small energy benefits and great environmental destruction.
Read more: https://www.efsyn.gr/ellada/periballon/269425_metopo-27-dimarhon-kata-aiolikon
How can such a decision be taken that aesthetically alters the landscape, the life of the citizens, the economy without dialogue with the institutions and associations of the place?
Why was not respected the decision of the Local Council of Leonidi that gave a negative opinion?
Why take a risk the future the already successful tourist product of the place, which is alternative tourism;
The benefits of tourism in the region are estimated at over 2.5 million euros per year (in hotels, apartments, Airbnb, catering, leisure, retail, etc.). Why do you put them at Risk?
In Europe, and particularly in France, the respective Tourism Board promotes holiday destinations WITHOUT wind farms!
Who wins ultimately from this project (apart from the company) and what is the real benefit to citizens?;
The decision was made on the basis that there are no properties there. Are you aware that there are several thousand euro facilities for the production of organic products? MEDIA in the area bound by the company;
Also, the Environmental Impact Study of the project is Inaccurate as regards visual disturbance from Leonidio. It is studied from a reference point in the centre (Merikaki Square) and not from different angles of the settlement. The park IT WILL BE VISIBLE FROM THE LION'S DEN. (p 165), just not from the central axis.
To many, all this may sound extreme, but in these matters justice is slow to come. If, for example, a few years ago they had let the fish farm facility in St. George's Bay (Pulithra) be built, we would have had the same tourism, the same quality of beaches, etc.; No! So the decision was then rightly taken to move them to their current location, where there is little or no disturbance.
We stress that we are not negative to RES (in all its forms), but for projects of this scale, spatial planning is essential!
Alternative tourism, which is so much promoted as a prospect but requires its defence from the industries that exploit the place. All these tourists we have are not coming for the wild fun. They come to enjoy the peaceful and gentle landscape that you have signed up to destroy.
With the tourists that we come in contact with every day, they are sounding the alarm that if wind turbines are installed, tourism will decrease dramatically.
You know that the foreign residents who invested in the land purchase and built houses in the area have expressed their strong concerns about the wind turbines and some of them have stated that in case of their installation they will sell everything and leave.; So you can see how great reduction in the value of land are we talking?
Democracy may be the best form of government, but it requires the elected people to be accountable for their actions to their constituents, take the burden of responsibility and, above all, take and support by all means decisions in the interests of citizens representing. Instead one from local associations, bodies, citizens were not consulted or informed on this issue, despite the fact that this was provided by the document of the Regional Council No. 253009/61324/23-10-2020!
Given the above and because:
- We believe that many councillors voted in favour, not knowing the magnitude of the negative impact (tourism, local economy, etc.), as well as the fact that there are properties within the area reserved for the installation.
- The result in favour of the installation was positive marginally 8 in favour - 7 against, 4 councillors were absent and 2 abstained from the procedure considering that citizens and stakeholders should be consulted
- The stakeholders (Municipal Trade Associations, Hotel Owners' Associations and associations for rented rooms, etc.) were never consulted on such a important issue, not even the inhabitants of Vaskina!
We urge the City Council to bring the issue back to the next Board, taking into account the opinion of citizens and local stakeholders and to make a decision with a full quorum of Councillors.
Our place, apart from being a beautiful place to visit, is also a wonderful place to live.
Let's protect him!
The undersigned
- Climbing - Mountaineering Club of Leonidi
- Commercial Association of Leonidi "New Era"
- Association of Hoteliers and owners of rental accommodation in the Municipality of South Kynouria
- Cultural & Recreational Association of Poulithriots "The Polichni"
- Tyros Hikers Association "The Chacones Hikers"
- Association "The Tsakonoparea"
- Crop owners from the area of the installation.
