Around the middle of the 18th century, according to historical sources, in this village of Pitsilia, Platanistasa, the inhabitants placed the first foundation stone of the watermill on the eastern bank of the river Peristerona. Other records mention the existence of a watermill in the village since 1572.
Today, centuries later, we are here in front of this same monument of historical heritage and legacy, to celebrate the inauguration of its maintenance and restoration.
This project, the cost of which amounted to approximately €470 thousand, was included in Measure 7: Basic services and regeneration of villages in rural areas (Reg.5 Investments for public use in recreational infrastructure, tourist information and small-scale tourist infrastructure) of the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, to be co-financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD).
Scheme 7.5 concerns the support and encouragement of public investment in the rural tourism sector, through the implementation of infrastructure projects and actions supporting rural tourism in rural municipalities/communities, aiming to promote soft tourism development as a main outlet for economic diversification.
The project concerned the restoration of the preserved watermill dating back to Venetian times, which has partially collapsed, as well as the restoration and maintenance of two adjacent bridges built in 1928.
The site has been preserved and restored to serve as a tourist information and promotion centre, providing visitors with information about the history of the building itself, and will be the starting point for guided tours/tours to the attractions of the surrounding communities, as well as the nature trails that exist in the area.
With projects such as the one we are inaugurating today, we seek, in addition to protecting and promoting the cultural/historical heritage of our place, to contribute to improving the quality of life of the inhabitants of rural and mountainous areas. The implementation of this project, moreover, will enhance the development of agro-tourism and nature tourism, increase the number of visitors and tourist flow, and consequently diversify the economy, reduce poverty and contribute to the economic recovery of the regions.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I would like, on this occasion, to congratulate the Head of the Community and the Community Council for keeping the bar high for the progress and prosperity of Platanistassa.
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Head of the Community and the Community Council for keeping the bar high for the progress and prosperity of Platanistasa. The vision for your community is our vision as well, and that is why you should take our support for whatever promising efforts you make for the well-being of the residents for granted.
I want you to know that it is a great satisfaction for all of us whenever a development project in the countryside is completed. The development of upland areas is a primary objective of the Government, which has aimed and continues to aim vigorously to support development-oriented local government.
In this context, as the Ministry of Interior, we announced last March, for the third consecutive year, generous housing schemes and subsidy incentives, aiming to improve the quality of life of the citizens living there, but also to reduce, as far as possible, the flows of urbanisation.
In the last call for 2022, Platanistasa was included in the Housing Plan for the Revitalization of Mountainous, Arid and Less Favoured Areas under the category of "extremely mountainous and extremely small and remote communities", a category for which the maximum extensions to the eligibility criteria and the maximum benefits of the plan applied. The financial support to beneficiaries for the acquisition of a house in the community could reach up to €95,000, depending on the composition of the family.3 million (from July 2019 until December 2022), while 900 applications have been approved nationwide to date, corresponding to a financial assistance of €32.5 million.
We have made arrangements and planning in order to re-launch the housing projects in 2023 and this time with the available appropriations in our Ministry's budget to be even more increased. Specifically, for the year 2023 we have made provision to allocate €20 million to mainly young families wishing to own their own home in the countryside or in the mountains, compared to €15 million in 2022 and €5 million in 2021. And this proves once again our commitment to the Anastasiades Government's vision for the development and revitalization of mountainous areas and the countryside.
In addition to the above housing, it is also worth mentioning that the permanent residents of mountainous communities, including the residents of Platanistasa, benefit from the mountainous communities allowance over 600m to cover their needs.
It is recalled that, especially for 2022, taking into account the socio-economic situation of the residents of mountainous areas, inflationary pressures and increased fuel prices, it was decided to grant a one-time emergency allowance to all residents of mountainous communities with an altitude of more than 600m,
Furthermore, the permanent residents of remote communities, including the residents of Platanistasa, who are non-retired workers, benefit from the remote area allowance to cover their travel costs/transit to urban centres.
Furthermore, the permanent residents of remote communities, including the residents of Platanistasa, who are non-retired workers, benefit from the remote area allowance to cover their travel costs/transit to urban centres.
With these and a number of other actions and holistic interventions, the Government's goal was and is to make our communities a focus of tourism, cultural, agricultural and environmental development, as well as an attractive place for permanent living and professional activity.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
On the occasion of my presence here, I would also like to refer to the reform of local government, which affects you as a Community, as the government bill provides for the inclusion of Platanistasa in a local service cluster which will consist of 12 municipalities in total (TRUE, ALONA, APLIKI, ASKAS, LAGOUDERA, LIVADIA (LEFKOSIA), PALEOCHORI (MORPHOU), PALEOCHORI (MOUNTAIN), PLATANISTASA, POLYSTYPOS, SARANDI, FTERIKOUDI).
The aim of the creation of the cluster, which was the result of a request from the Union of Communities itself, is to exploit synergies between the communities, by employing the necessary and appropriate staff, in order to enable them to provide services to their residents more efficiently. Already the Home Office has looked favourably on the requests it has received from communities in the cluster for reinforcement of their staff.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Some two centuries ago, it took countless hours of hard work by hundreds of labourers and masons to complete the waterworks and get the water flowing from the confluence of the rivers to the huge mill hopper. At that time, the creation of a necessary means and tool for the community to grind wheat, which at that time was the most valuable commodity, was a great achievement.
Today, this valuable cultural monument is a remarkable example of 19th century agricultural activity for the region of North Pitsilia and a unique architectural heritage, which, with the cooperation of all stakeholders, has been protected and preserved from the ravages of time.
Therefore, I would like to warmly congratulate the Nicosia District Administration for its contribution to the restoration of the project, which we are inaugurating today, as well as for the excellent cooperation with the European Funds Unit of the Ministry of Interior, which is proving catalytic in achieving the goal of absorption of European Funds.
I would also like to thank all those who worked for this excellent result.
My congratulations are of course due in particular to my friend the President of the Community Council, Mr Savvas Mendzi, and the members of the Community Council for their decision to promote the implementation of this project through the successful use of the possibilities offered by the European Union, and I am sure that the Community Council will contribute to its best possible use.
In closing, I would like to wish the residents and the Community of Platanistassa a very happy and healthy birthday and a new creative and productive year.
(EFYs/MB)
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