Akrotiri residents prepare lawsuit against construction of a complex of 32 antennas at British bases

Authorities of the British sovereign bases have informed, according to Cyprus Mail, the government of Cyprus about plans to build a new communications complex in the Akrotiri area. The project предусматривает the installation of 32 antennas on a site of about 45 hectares, but the initiative has already sparked serious resistance from local residents and municipal authorities.

The bases administration says it is ready to take additional measures to monitor the possible impact of the facility on the environment and public health. In particular, it has proposed installing three electromagnetic radiation monitoring stations and regularly publishing measurement results along with environmental assessment data.

Nevertheless, the Akrotiri municipality intends to challenge the project in court. Curium Mayor Pantelis Georgiou said that local authorities have requested updated epidemiological data from the Ministry of Health and are already informing relevant state agencies about the situation. According to him, residents are concerned about a possible link between the operation of the existing antennas and the rise in cancer cases in the region.

Particular dissatisfaction has been caused by changes to the project’s original plans. According to the municipality, it was initially about replacing 18 temporary antennas with 20 new ones, but the number of facilities was later increased to 32. In addition, the dismantling of the old structures has been postponed to the period from 2028 to 2034, and some of the changes, local authorities say, were not properly approved.
AKEL has already expressed support for the residents, noting that the temporary antennas installed in 2018 were also supposed to be dismantled, but this did not happen.

The dispute over the project is unfolding against the backdrop of heightened attention to the British bases after recent tensions in the Middle East. In recent months, the issue of their activity has again come to the forefront of public debate, and Cyprus authorities have repeatedly said there is a need to discuss the future status of Britain’s military presence on the island.