The state paid €4 million to convert underground spaces into shelters. On-site inspections last week revealed that a large number of shelters had been illegally converted into apartments. The agreements proved flawed, as they contain no provisions for penalties against owners.
Between 2000 and 2013, the state spent €4,150,000 to convert underground areas in privately owned developments into shelters to be used in the event of war. Written agreements were signed between the parties involved for the creation of these shelters, while property owners also received subsidies through a grant scheme approved by the Council of Ministers for the establishment of shelters. As a result of this decision, approximately 2,300 shelters were created between 2000 and 2013, with a total capacity of around 250,000 people.
Under these agreements, the spaces were fitted out at the state’s expense. Specifically, metal doors, metal windows, skylights, water tanks and toilets were installed. The ownership status of the underground areas did not change and remains with the respective property owners.
The Findings
Inspections carried out last week, for the first time across all Civil Defence shelters, revealed that 194 spaces registered as shelters are no longer available, as the basements either no longer exist due to the demolition of buildings or have had their use changed. Owners carried out modifications that reduced the available space or even eliminated the shelters altogether, converting them into apartments without informing Civil Defence. Through these actions, they violated the agreement signed with the state for the maintenance of the shelters, under which the state had spent thousands of euros converting the underground areas into shelters.
Flawed Agreements
According to information available to Politis, the agreements with private individuals concluded between 2000 and 2013 were found to be flawed. They do not grant the state the right to take legal action against the owners in order to reclaim the money spent on converting the underground spaces into shelters, which the owners later illegally turned into apartments.
As clarified by the Ministry of Interior, it is not currently considering taking legal action.
Converted into Storage Spaces…
Under the agreements covering shelters created between 2000 and 2013, owners of the underground spaces are obliged, in the event of an emergency, to hand over the space within 24 hours, clean and empty, so that it can be used for the protection of the civilian population. However, on-site inspections completed last week revealed that dozens of shelters cannot be made available within 24 hours, as large objects would need to be removed and the spaces cleaned.
The same inspections also found that for another 288 shelters the status of public use has changed and they remain private, now intended for use only by the owners and/or their tenants.
Continuation Without Subsidies
and Without State Coverage of Costs
On 10 July 2013, the Council of Ministers approved a proposal from the Ministry of Interior to suspend the above shelter creation programme and to transfer Civil Defence engineers and technicians to the district administrations. At the same time, it was decided that the maintenance of existing shelters would continue under the responsibility of Civil Defence.
Almost two years later, on 28 January 2015, the Council of Ministers approved the continuation of the programme for the creation and maintenance of Civil Defence shelters, making use of a civil engineer from Civil Defence, who was transferred in 2020 to the Nicosia District Administration.
Under this decision, the maintenance costs of newly created shelter spaces are borne by the owners. Metal doors, windows and other fittings are no longer installed, nor is any subsidy granted, as was previously the case.
Return to Incentives
13 Years Later
At its meeting the day before yesterday, the Council of Ministers approved a proposal by Interior Minister Konstantinos Ioannou to implement a special scheme providing urban planning incentives aimed at increasing the number of shelters and strengthening the capacity to protect the population in the event of natural disasters or hostile attacks.
The incentives for creating new shelters include granting an additional building coefficient of 5%. These incentives will be available for the next three years for both new developments with underground spaces and existing developments that have underground areas, provided they are properly licensed.
It is noted that this increase will be calculated based on a maximum area of 1,000 square metres, regardless of the total size of the plot.
Discontent and Responsibilities
Interior Minister Konstantinos Ioannou did not hide his dissatisfaction with the fact that a service under his ministry, Civil Defence, had failed to fulfil its mission regarding shelters.
“The assurances we were receiving were that they were in good condition. However, new inspections were not carried out across all shelters as they should have been, but only sporadically and on a sample basis,” the minister said.
“In practice, this is the first time the entire plan has been implemented and its weaknesses have become visible, namely the lack of cleanliness and the fact that many shelters had been altered. However, we must admit that these changes should have been identified through inspections that Civil Defence was obliged to carry out,” he noted.
The findings have been made and the conclusions drawn. What remains now is the assignment of responsibility.