The Elounda Local Council once again expressed its opposition to the installation of industrial-scale wind farms in the region of the Elounda Community. It met on Friday under the chairmanship of Manos Lempidakis. It is another decision of the Local Community of the Municipality of Agios Nikolaos that explicitly opposes the undermining of the development prospects of the place by altering the natural landscape and destroying the natural environment. In Meramvello, these constitute elements of cultural identity and sustainability for the local community, but also the capital invested in Tourism.
One after another, the Local Communities of the Municipality are aligning themselves with the unanimous decision of the Municipal Council of Agios Nikolaos, which was taken in April. The body took a position against the plan that foresees the installation of industrial RES in the periphery of the municipality, in order to take it into account in the study of the Local Urban Plan.
“We do not consider this activity, namely the development of these renewable energy sources, compatible with our place, in the way it was expressed, not because it is bad to have renewable energy sources, not because they do not have a role in some other places, but because our place is not compatible with this direction. At the same time, we are promoting this position, as a proposal, to the study group of the Local Urban Plan, which studies the spatial plan par excellence and which will also integrate and unify the existing SHOAP, so as to scientifically document this direction that we expressed above, taking a negative stance on the installation of RES, with the aim of protecting the natural landscape, preserving the cultural heritage, maintaining the tourist identity of the area and ensuring a sustainable development perspective,” the decision states.
Especially in the Elounda area, the issue has caused intense “shocks” in the recent past. Local bodies rose up and collectively opposed the plan to install “coastal wind farms” in the sea area of ​​Agios Ioannis and on the horizon of Elounda-Plaka, visible from Spinalonga, etc. That reaction resulted in their installation being prevented.
Source: Nikolaos Trantas for Anatolh.com