Natura 2000

The Village Office recently reported that the Council has applied to the Planning Authority to have all land at present proposed for inclusion in Natura 2000 revert to agricultural (Γ3) zoning.   This is apparently because the Council is not satisfied that there are sufficient safeguards in the proposals for the rights of the landowners and adequate compensation arrangements.   

Agricultural zoning allows a 10% building quota which would, in my opinion at least, be disastrous for the area concerned.   However, it remains to be seen how the Central Government Planning Authority respond to this application.  

Natura 2000 is a directive from the EU for the establishment of protection zones for bio-diversity.    However, the consideration of the entire matter will take years to complete and, whatever the outcome, any building in these areas will still be subject to the caveat that roads have to be installed, and that is an equally ponderous procedure which has to meet an array of legal requirements... so for the time being Pissouri’s precious coastal headlands are safe.