TALA NEWSLETTER - June 2015 issue

Tala newsletter                     June 2015   

CEMETERY

Tenders for the new cemetery have now been received and the contract has been awarded.   Work will start imminently.   For Phase 1 of the project, around a hundred plots will be constructed, together with a boundary wall, paths and basic car parking.  The work is likely to take around 2 months to complete.

If plots are needed, these should be available from August.  More details will be supplied in the September newsletter regarding pre-purchasing plots.

Phase 2 of the cemetery project will involve ashphalting the car park and building a covered area for shade/weather protection and a cemetery tax of €20 will be levied on each household for 2015 to raise the money to enable us to do this.  

Regarding the cemetery tax, I apologise as, despite the earlier advice given by the District Office, legal opinion is that the tax is payable by everyone regardless of any personal arrangements or preferences.  As mentioned in a previous newsletter, due to the costs involved, the council will not take measures to pursue payment.  However, if the tax remains unpaid, a non-payment penalty will apply each year, and the tax will have to be settled at the time of any property sale.   

SAPA & MAINS SEWERAGE

You may remember from the April issue that we were trying to negotiate with SAPA regarding the payment they required to reimburse them for any outlay or share of costs relating to Tala as the first part of our exit from the mains sewerage system.   SAPA have refused to budge from the initial figure quoted of €40,798 and Tala Council has, therefore, made the first payment to them of €20,000.  The balance will be paid in 12 months time and the Council is left to battle with the Government to obtain the 80% funding promised.

As a result, finally, those of you who have been forced to pay sewerage fees to allow transfer of property  will now be reimbursed.  Rather than sit and wait for this reimbursement, I would suggest that you apply to SAPA directly or via your legal advisor.

It would also appear that we have made some progress with the Government who now accept that septic tanks are acceptable under the EU directive – however it is likely that an inspection schedule would have to be put in place to check that these are not leaking or polluting.   Such an inspection [possibly every 5 years] would incur a charge but this would be nothing compared to the costs which we would all have had to pay for the mains sewerage system.  However, we still need the Minister of the Interior and the Government to make a decision as to whether we still have to be included in the main sewerage or whether we are excluded and I have no timescale for this.

I am hoping to have a meeting with the Minister of the Interior in the very near future and will keep you posted regarding developments.

TALA SQUARE

The new toilets behind the old church in the Square have now been completed.   We are also hopeful that the necessary EU funding will shortly be in place to allow the work for the pedestrianisation of the square to start in the last quarter of this year, possibly as early as September.

MULTI-CULTURAL CENTRE

Provisional planning permission has been received for the multi-cultural centre.   This is proposed to be built on the land at the far end of the car park [on the road leading out of the village to Vrasidas Taverna].   We will be applying for EU funding for the project and anticipate that we will hear whether those funds are available in 2016.

GARDEN WASTE

The Government operated site for garden waste recycling  [Green Point] has now been  opened at    Akoursos, in an old quarry on the left hand side of the road to Akoursos village.   However, this site is only open on the following days:

Monday                                            0800-1800

Wednesday                                       0800-1800

Friday                                               0800-1800

Saturday                                           0900-1500

Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday CLOSED

However, according to rumour it appears that this site can only take wood cuttings [branches, trunks] for recycling.  We are trying to obtain further clarification  and additoinal information will be supplied in due course.    We understand that there is no charge for using the facility but that all the Councils and Municipalities may be required to contribute a [considerable!] sum for this facility. 

Options for garden waste:

1                     Branches and tree cuttings - Taken by the householder to the free site above [to be confirmed]

2                     Collection of up to 2 bags of garden waste [excluding branches and tree cuttings] by the refuse collectors.   Note, however, that priority will be given to household rubbish and garden waste may not always be taken if refuse levels are higher than usual.

3                    Purchase blue Tala Council bags at the Council office, and advise the office when you have bags ready for collection.   Collections will be done the week of the first Monday of each month [Monday – Kamares;   Tuesday – Stephanie/Lofos ;  Wednesday – Melisovonos & Monastery ;  Thursday – Village and South of Milt. Stylianou].   No charge will be made for collection of these blue bags.

4                    Request uplift from the Council office – a charge will be made depending on the volume of waste.

5                    Take any bags to the private garden waste centre in Tala – a charge will be made of €1 for the first bag, and €0.50 for each additional bag.  The site is open Tuesday 0900-1200, and Saturday 0900-1200 and 1400-1600]

6                    Arrange for collection by the private garden waste collectors – the charge will depend on the volume/vehicle required.   

Please also bear in mind that the private garden waste collector will pick up domestic appliances free of charge.  There is a drop off fee for wooden furniture items, and home pick-up is offered for a supplementary charge.  

Council office – 26 652412

Private garden waste collector – Andreas 99 327262

HOUSEHOLD REFUSE

We are receiving reports of occasions when the refuse men are omitting to collect from some households.   These omissions are erratic and there appears to be no pattern to them.  It is, however, important that you advise either the council office, or email Cathi [toffee@primehome.com] with a note of your name and address, no of bags omitted and dates of non-collection so that I can use this as ammunition against the contractor.    

AMPHITHEATRE

I am pleased to advise that the new changing rooms and disabled toilet at the amphitheatre were completed ready for the start of the new season.

We also have a new tenant at the amphitheatre kiosk – Andreas Onisiforou.

TALA COUNCIL COMPUTER SYSTEM

We are just finalising a form which we will be using alongside the new computer system.  This form will ask for email addresses and mobile phone numbers and will also be used as a check to ensure that the information we have on the system regarding your name and address is correct.

Once the form is agreed, Cathi will be circulating this and supplies will be available in the council office.

We are still waiting for confirmation that we have been accepted onto the JCC link which will allow payment of rates and Tala water bills online.   We will continue to press for this and hope to have it in place before the end of this year.  We are in the hands of JCC for this and understand we are ‘on the To Do list’.

TALA WATER METERS

There has been a long outstanding problem of accessing some water meters in Tala.   Those of you who have problem meters will have received a letter asking you to relocate your meter to a more accessible position.   The deadline for moving the meter has now expired, and the Council will now proceed to move those necessary and a charge will be imposed on the water bills of those affected.

  

LOCAL IMMOVABLE PROPERTY TAX payable at Tala Council office

Please note that this tax no longer applies from this year and will be incorporated into the Government Immovable Property Tax.  The rates for the Government tax have not yet been agreed and it is possible that the 2013 property value will be used as the basis for this tax.  Further information will be circulated once available.  

  

PAFOS 2017

We have approached Paphos 2017 with a view to having a number of walls around the village included in their Community Projects as part of the Pafos 2017 initiative.  The walls in question are:

-         -  The car park at the amphitheatre

-         -  The wall above the amphitheatre fronting onto the road

-        -   The verandah wall at SKE [Welfare Centre]

Would any artists who would like to be involved in the design and/or co-ordination of these projects please email Cathi [toffee@primehome.com] with their name, email and mobile phone no.    Also, if anyone, or any company, is interested in sponsoring these projects either financially or to offer materials, or discounted rates for materials, could they please contact Cathi .

Subject to acceptance, the projects are scheduled for Spring 2016.  

MEAL SERVICE

Just to remind you that a hot meal delivery service is available which will be delivered direct to your door.   This will be ideal not only for anyone who is housebound, but for those recovering from an operation, temporarily on their own,  unable to leave the house for any reason, on holiday or wanting to entertain and save themselves the hassle of cooking – or avoid the heat in the kitchen over the summer months!   If needed, additional meals can be provided suitable for freezing or keeping in the fridge but in the initial stages the hot meal delivery will be restricted to Sunday, Wednesday and Friday.   The menu for the week will be emailed out each week and will be available on www.talanews.blogspot.com.

Working under the auspices of SKE [Welfare Centre], Marie and Emma will initially be providing a lunch on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday.  This will consist of a main course and a dessert.  Special dietary requirements can be catered for if needed.  The meal on a Sunday will be a traditional Sunday lunch.

The cost of the lunch will be €7.50 per person with free delivery to residents of Tala.   Anyone outside of the Tala area will be charged €1 for delivery.  

 

For further information or to order lunch, please contact Marie and Emma on 97 725903 or email:  emmaguy52@hotmail.com.   Please bear in mind that you will need to give 24 hours notice of your order.

WHAT’S ON

June

21                 Hollies tribute from the UK – at the Amphitheatre

July

16                 The All New Jersey Boys from the UK – at the Amphitheatre

18                 The All New Jersey Boys from the UK – at the Amphitheatre – tickets now at kiosk

Sept

11                 Fleetwood Mac tribute from the UK – at the Amphitheatre

13                 Fleetwood Mac tribute from the UK – at the Amphitheatre

20                 Papageorgio String Quartet – at the Amphitheatre

25                 Bee Gees tribute from the UK – at the Amphitheatre

27                 Bee Gees tribute from the UK – at the Amphitheatre

Details of the Cypriot music and plays will be available shortly and will be circulated.

Tickets for most events are available at  the Visteria [formerly SoEasy] Kiosk in Tala.   For most shows, tickets can be reserved on www.talanews.blogspot.com.   Any events at the Kamares Club must be booked direct with the Club. 

Please also see www.talanews.blogspot.comregarding other events in the Paphos and Tala area which may be of interest.

Next issue 20 September            

Areti Pieridou