20/12/2024, 1:31 μ.μ.
Dear signers of this,
As we mentioned in our previous communication, a group of Paros Citizens' Movement members decided to take a difficult but more effective step after realising that political pressure was not producing visible results. They have chosen to pursue legal action.
The case has been assigned to the law firm Alivisatos-Kiosopoulou & Associates ( alivizatos-kiousopoulou.com/en/ ), which has a strong reputation in administrative law matters. This decision was made to achieve our objectives better; however, it also means that the financial cost of the trial is quite high. As a Citizens' Movement, we hope that the economic burden will not fall solely on the individuals who signed the petition for the annulment of the permit. These individuals have already taken on significant financial responsibilities and risks without any personal benefit from the trial's outcome. We kindly ask those who support the necessity of this trial to contribute whatever amount they can to help share the costs.
For this purpose, please use the account of the FRIENDS OF PAROS & ANTIPAROS, to whom we extend our warmest thanks for openly expressing their support for implementing urban planning legality through legal means. When transferring your donation to their account, please indicate "legal action" as the reason for the transfer. Thank you!
Alpha Bank
IBAN : GR8101406250625002002002615
Swift/Bic: CRBAGRAAXXX
Beneficiary: Friends of Paros
Reason: Legal Action
20/12/2024, 1:20 μ.μ.
Dear signers of the petition,
As we mentioned in our previous communication, a group of Paros Citizens' Movement members decided to take a difficult but more effective step after realising that political pressure was not producing visible results. They have chosen to pursue legal action.
The case has been assigned to the law firm Alivisatos-Kiosopoulou & Associates ( alivizatos-kiousopoulou.com/en/ ), which has a strong reputation in administrative law matters. This decision was made to achieve our objectives better; however, it also means that the financial cost of the trial is quite high. As a Citizens' Movement, we hope that the economic burden will not fall solely on the individuals who signed the petition for the annulment of the permit. These individuals have already taken on significant financial responsibilities and risks without any personal benefit from the trial's outcome. We kindly ask those who support the necessity of this trial to contribute whatever amount they can to help share the costs.
For this purpose, please use the bank account of the FRIENDS OF PAROS & ANTIPAROS, to whom we extend our warmest thanks for openly expressing their support for implementing urban planning legality through legal means. When transferring your donation to their account, please indicate "legal action" as the reason for the transfer. Thank you!
Alpha Bank
IBAN : GR8101406250625002002002615
Swift/Bic: CRBAGRAAXXX
Beneficiary: Friends of Paros
Reason: Legal Action
16/12/2024, 12:08 μ.μ.
Dear supporters of our petition, we would like to inform you about our recent actions aimed at urging the implementation of specific measures for the immediate restriction of building primarily outside the zoning area.
---
The Citizens' Movement of Paros
December 2024
The Paros Citizens' Movement has already highlighted the urgency of the problem of massive construction and urbanisation of our island, which, especially in recent years, seems to have gone out of control and logic.
Particularly in the Assembly of the Movement of April 19, 2024, the interest of the members of the Movement in this issue and the need for interventions in the direction of limiting building on the island became obvious.
As a first step in this direction, it was proposed and adopted after an ongoing and open discussion to exert political pressure on the Local and Central Governance by publishing a petition calling for the implementation of specific measures for the immediate restriction of mainly outside the zoning area building.
The petition, initially co-signed by 6 Parian Associations, was published in June 2024 and, at this moment, has now gathered 2,646 signatures from residents of the island but also urban planners, architects, lawyers and friends of Paros from all over the country.
At the end of August, it was submitted to the president of the Municipal Council of the Municipality of Paros and the building department. It was also sent to the relevant ministries and members of Parliament for the Cyclades. But, we have yet to see any substantial change in the state of affairs. Building permits continue to be issued as usual, and buildings on every hillside and plain of the island spring up in abundance from one day to the next.
With this in mind, and after realising that political pressure did not yield visible results, a group of members of the Paros Citizens' Movement proceeded to a next, quite painful, but more effective step. Namely the judicial route.
A plea was recently filed with the Council of State on behalf of the Hellenic Society for the Protection of Culture and the Environment (ELLET) and six residents of Paros. The plea seeks to annul a building permit issued by the Town Planning Department of Paros in 2024. This request arises during a time when the Council of State had clearly established strict conditions regarding construction on land outside zoning areas, as outlined in decision 176/2023.
This trial puts four key questions for our island on the table. Namely:
1- Which roads give building rights?
2- How compatible are the regulations on 'cave houses' with the Parian landscape and the approved General Urban Plan (GUP) of Paros?
3- How can dry stone terraces and paths be destroyed when the Paros GUP expressly prohibits it?
4 How tolerable is it to permit "water features" (which we all know are steadily turning into swimming pools) on mountains on an island that has never been free of water scarcity risks?
These four issues are not specific to this particular permit. On the contrary, they concern dozens and hundreds of permits that have already been issued and are still being issued by the Town Planning Department of Paros. Unfortunately, however, there is no appropriate legal way to challenge many building permits in a single lawsuit. Selecting one of the building permits was necessary to highlight the issues involved in almost all of them.
We regret that political inaction, if not political support, for deeply destructive choices and long-standing pathologies on our island has led to the necessity of litigation, with all the unpleasantness that this brings for both complainants and defendants. But, our regret does not negate the necessity. It had to be done, and it was done. In a favoured and functional state, everything would have been more wisely and gently regulated, and the institutional actors would have taken timely care to protect what needs protection without forcing citizens to bear disproportionate burdens. This has not happened in the case of our island. And when irreversible destruction is advancing inexorably, the options are narrowing.
The Citizens' Movement supports the initiative of ELLET and the private individuals who have filed the petition for annulment. A lawsuit that seeks to force the application of logic and constitutional imperatives in the protection of our island, an island designated since 1979 as a place of "special natural beauty", and which is currently being rapidly destroyed in ways that are quasi-legitimate, but not legal.
14/12/2024, 10:42 π.μ.
Dear supporters of our petition, we would like to inform you about our recent actions aimed at urging the implementation of specific measures for the immediate restriction of building primarily outside the zoning area.
---
The Citizens' Movement of Paros
December 2024
The Paros Citizens' Movement has already highlighted the urgency of the problem of massive construction and urbanisation of our island, which, especially in recent years, seems to have gone out of control and logic.
Particularly in the Assembly of the Movement of April 19, 2024, the interest of the members of the Movement in this issue and the need for interventions in the direction of limiting building on the island became obvious.
As a first step in this direction, it was proposed and adopted after an ongoing and open discussion to exert political pressure on the Local and Central Governance by publishing a petition calling for the implementation of specific measures for the immediate restriction of mainly outside the zoning area building.
The petition, initially co-signed by 6 Parian Associations, was published in June 2024 and, at this moment, has now gathered 2,646 signatures from residents of the island but also urban planners, architects, lawyers and friends of Paros from all over the country.
At the end of August, it was submitted to the president of the Municipal Council of the Municipality of Paros and the building department. It was also sent to the relevant ministries and members of Parliament for the Cyclades. But, we have yet to see any substantial change in the state of affairs. Building permits continue to be issued as usual, and buildings on every hillside and plain of the island spring up in abundance from one day to the next.
With this in mind, and after realising that political pressure did not yield visible results, a group of members of the Paros Citizens' Movement proceeded to a next, quite painful, but more effective step. Namely the judicial route.
A plea was recently filed with the Council of State on behalf of the Hellenic Society for the Protection of Culture and the Environment (ELLET) and six residents of Paros. The plea seeks to annul a building permit issued by the Town Planning Department of Paros in 2024. This request arises during a time when the Council of State had clearly established strict conditions regarding construction on land outside zoning areas, as outlined in decision 176/2023.
This trial puts four key questions for our island on the table. Namely:
Which roads give building rights?
How compatible are the regulations on 'cave houses' with the Parian landscape and the approved General Urban Plan (GUP) of Paros?
How can dry stone terraces and paths be destroyed when the Paros GUP expressly prohibits it?
How tolerable is it to permit "water features" (which we all know are steadily turning into swimming pools) on mountains on an island that has never been free of water scarcity risks?
These four issues are not specific to this particular permit. On the contrary, they concern dozens and hundreds of permits that have already been issued and are still being issued by the Town Planning Department of Paros. Unfortunately, however, there is no appropriate legal way to challenge many building permits in a single lawsuit. Selecting one of the building permits was necessary to highlight the issues involved in almost all of them.
We regret that political inaction, if not political support, for deeply destructive choices and long-standing pathologies on our island has led to the necessity of litigation, with all the unpleasantness that this brings for both complainants and defendants. But, our regret does not negate the necessity. It had to be done, and it was done. In a favoured and functional state, everything would have been more wisely and gently regulated, and the institutional actors would have taken timely care to protect what needs protection without forcing citizens to bear disproportionate burdens. This has not happened in the case of our island. And when irreversible destruction is advancing inexorably, the options are narrowing.
The Citizens' Movement supports the initiative of ELLET and the private individuals who have filed the petition for annulment. A lawsuit that seeks to force the application of logic and constitutional imperatives in the protection of our island, an island designated since 1979 as a place of "special natural beauty", and which is currently being rapidly destroyed in ways that are quasi-legitimate, but not legal.
If you agree, sign and share the petition calling for the implementation of concrete measures to immediately restrict mainly off-plan building: www.openpetition.eu/paros.
14/12/2024, 10:36 π.μ.
The Citizens' Movement of Paros
December 2024
The Paros Citizens' Movement has already highlighted the urgency of the problem of massive construction and urbanisation of our island, which, especially in recent years, seems to have gone out of control and logic.
Particularly in the Assembly of the Movement of April 19, 2024, the interest of the members of the Movement in this issue and the need for interventions in the direction of limiting building on the island became obvious.
As a first step in this direction, it was proposed and adopted after an ongoing and open discussion to exert political pressure on the Local and Central Governance by publishing a petition calling for the implementation of specific measures for the immediate restriction of mainly outside the zoning area building.
The petition, initially co-signed by 6 Parian Associations, was published in June 2024 and, at this moment, has now gathered 2,646 signatures from residents of the island but also urban planners, architects, lawyers and friends of Paros from all over the country.
At the end of August, it was submitted to the president of the Municipal Council of the Municipality of Paros and the building department. It was also sent to the relevant ministries and members of Parliament for the Cyclades. But, we have yet to see any substantial change in the state of affairs. Building permits continue to be issued as usual, and buildings on every hillside and plain of the island spring up in abundance from one day to the next.
With this in mind, and after realising that political pressure did not yield visible results, a group of members of the Paros Citizens' Movement proceeded to a next, quite painful, but more effective step. Namely the judicial route.
A plea was recently filed with the Council of State on behalf of the Hellenic Society for the Protection of Culture and the Environment (ELLET) and six residents of Paros. The plea seeks to annul a building permit issued by the Town Planning Department of Paros in 2024. This request arises during a time when the Council of State had clearly established strict conditions regarding construction on land outside zoning areas, as outlined in decision 176/2023.
This trial puts four key questions for our island on the table. Namely:
Which roads give building rights?
How compatible are the regulations on 'cave houses' with the Parian landscape and the approved General Urban Plan (GUP) of Paros?
How can dry stone terraces and paths be destroyed when the Paros GUP expressly prohibits it?
How tolerable is it to permit "water features" (which we all know are steadily turning into swimming pools) on mountains on an island that has never been free of water scarcity risks?
These four issues are not specific to this particular permit. On the contrary, they concern dozens and hundreds of permits that have already been issued and are still being issued by the Town Planning Department of Paros. Unfortunately, however, there is no appropriate legal way to challenge many building permits in a single lawsuit. Selecting one of the building permits was necessary to highlight the issues involved in almost all of them.
We regret that political inaction, if not political support, for deeply destructive choices and long-standing pathologies on our island has led to the necessity of litigation, with all the unpleasantness that this brings for both complainants and defendants. But, our regret does not negate the necessity. It had to be done, and it was done. In a favoured and functional state, everything would have been more wisely and gently regulated, and the institutional actors would have taken timely care to protect what needs protection without forcing citizens to bear disproportionate burdens. This has not happened in the case of our island. And when irreversible destruction is advancing inexorably, the options are narrowing.
The Citizens' Movement supports the initiative of ELLET and the private individuals who have filed the petition for annulment. A lawsuit that seeks to force the application of logic and constitutional imperatives in the protection of our island, an island designated since 1979 as a place of "special natural beauty", and which is currently being rapidly destroyed in ways that are quasi-legitimate, but not legal.
24/09/2024, 3:25 μ.μ.
As the summer is coming to an end and our island is at a turning point, it is important for the Paros Citizens' Movement to carefully evaluate its actions and make decisions that will significantly affect the future of our grassroots movement.
If you are on the island, we invite you to join us on Friday 27 September at 19:00 at the Teacher's House in Parikia, for a crucial preparatory meeting leading up to our Movement's Autumn Reporting - Programming Assembly.
Your participation in this decision-making process is vital. Your presence is essential to the success of this meeting. Your absence would be a loss to the Movement!
The Secretariat of the Paros Citizens' Movement
26/08/2024, 12:31 μ.μ.
Dear signers of the petition
Please be informed that our next meeting will take place on Friday, August 30th at 7:00 pm. We will meet at the Dimitrakopoulos Building in Parikia to continue our discussion about our actions concerning the petition and the issue of overbuilding on the island.
We look forward to your presence.
Find the location: maps.app.goo.gl/f9dDV3Vt6EBiD6Yp8
Cordially
The Management Team of the Petition for the Prevention of Overbuilding in Paros.
--- NB: Sign if you wish the petition with similar demands of the Network for Sustainable Cyclades - www.openpetition.eu/cycladesen
16/08/2024, 6:07 μ.μ.
Dear All
We remind you that, as decided in our previous meeting on 3/8/2024, we will meet tomorrow Saturday 17 August at the Dimitrakopoulos Building in Parikia of Paros, at 19:00, to continue our discussion on our actions regarding the petition we have all signed and the overbuilding on the island.
We hope for your presence.
Find the location: maps.app.goo.gl/6EqhkFPUhHoJgEtu8
With warm greetings
The Management Team of the Petition for the Prevention of Overbuilding on Paros.
NB: Sign if you want the petition with similar demands of the Network for Sustainable Cyclades - www.openpetition.eu/cycladesen
13/08/2024, 3:00 μ.μ.
Dear All
We inform you that, as decided in our previous meeting on 3/8/2024, we will meet on Saturday 17 August at the Dimitrakopoulos Building in Parikia of Paros, at 19:00, to continue our discussion on our actions regarding the petition we have all signed and the overbuilding on the island.
We hope for your presence.
Find the location: maps.app.goo.gl/6EqhkFPUhHoJgEtu8
With warm greetings
The Management Team of the Petition for the Prevention of Overbuilding on Paros.
NB: Sign if you want the petition with similar demands of the Network for Sustainable Cyclades - www.openpetition.eu/cycladesen
03/08/2024, 11:16 π.μ.
Cher.ère signataire de la pétition
Nous vous remercions de soutenir notre pétition pour la restriction de la construction hors zone urbaine à Paros, qui a déjà recueilli 2 175 signatures.
Il est temps de discuter de sa soumission au Conseil Municipal et de vous rencontrer si vous êtes à Paros et voulez participer à d'autres actions sur le problème crucial de la surconstruction sur notre île.
Nous vous invitons le samedi 3/8/2024 (aujourd'hui!), à 19h00, au bâtiment Dimitrakopoulos sur Market Street à Parikia de Paros.
Trouver l'endroit : www.maps.app.goo.gl/6EqhkFPUhHoJgEtu8
À cette occasion, nous vous rappelons de ne pas hésiter à demander à vos amis de signer la pétition s'ils sont d'accord. Plus nous obtiendrons de signatures, plus forte sera la pression exercée sur le conseil municipal pour qu'il nous écoute.
Partagez l'URL de la pétition en français www.openpetition.eu/parosfr
Nous aimerions également attirer votre attention sur une autre pétition actuellement lancée par le Réseau pour des Cyclades Durables, qui contient des demandes très similaires. Signez-la et partagez-la si vous êtes d'accord !
Vous trouverez ici la version en anglais : www.openpetition.eu/cycladesfr
Avec nos meilleures salutations
L'équipe de gestion de la pétition
