Planning permission takes CFA's National Sports Centre in Kornos a step forward

Planning permission has been secured for the Cyprus Football Association’s National Sports Centre in Kornos.

A CFA announcement said that it aimed to begin construction by the end of 2025, with early 2028 set as the anticipated date of completion.

As CFA notes, having overcome a series of obstacles and CFA fulfilling certain obligations, it received planning permission for the ‘Home of Cyprus Football’ from the Town Planning Authority.

The Association also noted that this had been one of the first projects CFA President George Koumas had announced on assuming the helm.

This development is the most important step so far for the realisation of a decades-long goal and a dream, CFA noted.

In relation to the next steps, the Association stated that after securing the planning permit, the construction of the Sports Centre is entering the final stretch. CFA's goal is to secure the relevant building permit by the first half of 2025 and, at the same time, prepare the terms of the tenders for its construction.

The Sports Centre will match the standards of the sports centres of major football associations abroad.

It will include a central stadium for 1,500 spectators for the matches of the small national teams up to K-21 level, three auxiliary training grounds, a guest house for athletes and auxiliary facilities (storage rooms, changing rooms, doctor's office, gymnasium, meeting rooms, etc.)

There will also be a specially designed synthetic turf pitch to host the games of grassroots children's leagues among others.

The offices of the Cyprus Football Association will also be housed in the same area.

The facilities will be able to host conferences, seminars and training programmes directly related to the CFA, the National Teams, the Coach School, refereeing, etc.

The construction costs of the project will be covered by the UEFA Hat Trick and FIFA Forward programmes as well as by Association funds. The space has been granted free of charge by the state, through a lease to the Cyprus Sports Organisation (CSO) and a sublease from the CSO to the CFA.

The CFA Sports Centre will be located in an area between Nicosia, Larnaca and Limassol and will also include a tertiary municipal wastewater treatment plant.

The application for planning permission was submitted by the CFA on 8 July, 2022 with the process lasting two years.

In May 2023, the Department of the Environment, following the recommendations of the various state services, requested the CFA to carry out a full environmental impact study and public consultation, it is reported.

CFA, in collaboration with the project architect, commissioned the study to I.A.CO Environmental & Water Consultants LTD.

On 16 June, 2023, CFA issued an invitation for public consultation/presentation of the environmental impact assessment study (EIA) for the construction and operation of the National Sports Centre in Kornos for 19 June, 2023.

The purpose of the public presentation was to inform the public and interested local authorities about the main results of the environmental impact assessment study of the project in question.

On 19 June, 2023, in the presence of CFA General Manager Anthoulis Mylonas, CFA Vice President Evangelos Mouskos, and the Project Architect Pavlos Fereos, the study was presented by I.A.CO Environmental & Water Consultants LTD.

The presentation was made at the Kornos Primary School in the presence of the Mayor and members of the Kornos Community Council and residents of the community. A discussion followed where the scholars of the project answered questions and concerns raised by the attendees.

On 6 July, 2023, I.A.CO Environmental & Water Consultants LTD submitted the environmental impact report to the environment department.

On 26 September, 2023, the Environment Committee met to examine the environmental impact report.

On 23 February, 2024, the opinion of the Department of Environment on the construction of the CFA Sports Centre was sent to the Town Planning Department’s central offices. The opinion paved the way for consideration by the Town Planning Department of the application for planning permission, which was finally granted on 11 July, 2024.

(Source: InBusinessNews)