Replacement of asbestos pipes in Kissamos
The work of replacing asbestos pipes in the water supply network of Kissamos and adjacent areas is to start again shortly. Two kilometres of piping have already been replaced and another 5 km are still to be changed, chiefly on Iroon Polytechniou and in the neighbourhood of Kamara.
According to the deputy mayor in charge of water supply and irrigation, Theofilos Christoulakis, the work had already been started but had been halted during the tourist season because the work in Kissamos is along the central artery of Iroon Polytechniou. The budget of €500,000 is being met under the Philodimos programme, which provides central government funding for local infrastructure improvements.
Peri-urban projects
The sum of €700,000 is also being provided under the Philodimos programme to replace 21 km of asbestos piping in the villages of Kissamos. According to Mr Christoulakis, “in the centre of Kissamos, the work will have been completed by the end of 2023, unless the contractor asks for an extension, and outside the town by the end of 2024.”
Street lighting in the Municipality of Platanias
A digital management system for reporting faults in street lighting has been installed by the Municipality of Platanias. According to a press release, the move is part of the municipality’s digital transformation and modernisation of services which aims to provide immediate service to the citizen.
Being introduced as a pilot on a selected number of lamp standards, it comprises a sticker with a QR code which the citizen can scan with their smartphone. Without the need for installing an app, the code takes the user direct to a web page for reporting faults, where they can register their details and indicate the type of fault. The relevant department of the Municipality’s Technical Services is informed in real time of the fault and can give the order for its immediate remedy.
For citizens who are unable to use a smartphone, the sticker also carries a phone number and an email address, via which they can report the fault, quoting the ID number of the individual lamp standard, which is also given on the sticker. According to the mayor of Platanias Giannis Malandrakis, “By installing this system, the Municipality of Platanias is applying new technologies essentially to user-friendly applications aimed at providing a service the citizen.”
Building permit for mansion restoration
A further step towards the restoration of the historic Isychaki Mansion in Alikianos has been taken with the issue of a building permit by the relevant department. The building will be transformed into a cultural and educational centre. Previously two studies had been delivered – one for the architectural restoration and the other a special study relating to the restoration of the tiled floor and the ceiling. Now, with the issue of a building permit, tendering for the work can go ahead. (Haniotika Nea, 14/10/23)
History of the mansion
Occupying a commanding position on the main street of Alikianos, the Isychaki Mansion is one of the most important surviving buildings of the Venetian period in the area. It was built at a time when Alikianos was a fief of the Venetian Da Molin family, and the ruins of a 14th-15th century fortified tower built by the family still stand on a site north of the town centre.
The east wing of the mansion was built in Venetian times, as was the southern section, which was demolished and completely rebuilt in the same period. The building received major additions, including the central tower, during the Ottoman period. It was the base for the Greek revolutionary Timoleon Vasos, who had landed at Kissamos during the uprising of 1897. It also changed hands several times, ending up in possession of the Isychaki family. During the German occupation, the mansion briefly housed young girls from the Chania Orphanage.
After the War, the mansion fell into dereliction. On a visit this week, the owner of the property immediately behind it told us that when he bought the property 60 years ago the mansion was “as it is now”. The restoration plans also have been a long time in gestation. In November 2020 the mayor of Platanias Giannis Malandrakis told Kriti TV: “The Isychaki Mansion came into the ownership of the Municipality via a donation. It had remained unexploited and two years ago the Municipality succeeded in getting funding under an ESPA programme.” The total budget for the planning and execution of the restoration is €2.5 million.
