Paphos People

Will be met with huge relief from smaller development complexes
Following years of complaints and concerns regarding the outdated and unworkable regulations on public and some private swimming pools in Cyprus, the obsolete laws are on the brink of change.

So tough have the regulations been that many complexes rented to tourists or sold to individuals were forced to close their pools in recent years.

At the end of 2023, the interior ministry presented a bill aimed at upgrading legislation regarding the characteristics and inspections of public and private swimming pools during a House interior committee meeting.

More here:-https://cyprus-mail.com/2024/04/21/obsolete-swimming-pool-laws-poised-to-change/

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Dave
Moira And Dave

“I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.”

I apreciate a line has to be drawn somewhere, but according to this report a communal development with just six owners/residents will still be required to have a full-time lifeguard. That is totally nonsensical.

As the article states, these archaic laws appear mainly to be applied to pools in Paphos. As a company we hardly ever hear of residents being subject to these ridiculous laws in other parts of Cyprus.

Exactly Lloyd! The private complex in Chlorakas where I own a house and rent out has 20 properties and have been told we need the lifeguard AND 2 communal changing rooms etc!

FHS everyone has their own house there.....

Total bunkum!

sorry, I am a little confused, when it states complex with more than 5 properties used for hotel or tourist accomodation could this include a complex built by lets say Leptos and sold of as holiday homes and then let out through air B&B or booking.com?

If it's the latter it's bad news as it means most private pools as I know in some complex half the properties are let for holidays.

Gary.

Its just another bullswag rule from overbearing nanny states and the EU. Frankly if people are stupid enough to do stupid things and drown its their own fault.

Soon the state will tell everyone how to act all the time and how to comply.

It will also lead to the opportunity for government and municipalities to start to issue licences for exceptions and make more money for absolutely zero return.

Time for good folk to wake up and erect the middle finger.

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Straight talking, no Gimmicks.

Live your dreams.

Having lived on a few complexes in recent years each sees the law differently

1. 14 properties with fenced communal pool. Mixture of owners, tenants, holidaymakers.

2. 14 properties with 2 communal showers, separate toilets, changing room but no fencing around pool. Owners and tenants only.

3. 3 properties with communal pool. Long term tenants only.

Owners and tenants also includes any guests as long as the owner/tenant is present when they are using the pool.

Now happily living in accommodation with no swimming pool as I can do without the endless conversations about whether it is legal to use, safe to use etc with other residents and in various discussion groups.

Cyprus should amend the law so it is in line with the other EU countries!

On this we disagree Alexis, Cyprus should abolish the EU rulings and pressures and put the responsibility back to the users.

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Straight talking, no Gimmicks.

Live your dreams.

The EU does not have common laws with regard to pool safety. France has very strict laws, and if a pool is not made safe in France, you as owner face a €45,000 penalty. Most European countries do not have pool safety laws. And if they do they're pretty minimal.

Two years ago I was invited to give a talk to an EU safety conference in Vienna. My contention was that child pool safety should be law. What adults do in their pools is their own business, but small children deserve not to die in unprotected pools. For that reason pools should be made safe, in the same way cars are required to have seatbelts and passengers to buckle-up.

When Australia and NZ brought in pool safety regulations many years ago, accidental child drownings in residential pools halved. Only the most heartless and cavalier among us would say that it is OK for babies to die in unprotected pools... and that it's simply the fault of neglectful parents if they do.

I hold these views, not because this is my line of business, but because I have had many parents who have lost cildren in pool drowning accidents contact me. Others know someone who has lost a child. We try and protect children in cars (seat belts and car seats) but seemingly not around residential pools which are often just a metre or two from the back door of the house.

Having said the above, the laws relating to communal properties as they stand are ridiculous and 'archaic'.

https://cyprus-mail.com/2024/04/28/law- ... le-relief/

I refer to the article in the Sunday Mail (April 21) and the suggestion that the proposed change in the law on swimming pools will be met with huge relief by smaller tourism complexes. I cannot share your opinion.

The proposed change for complexes’ pools from two units to five will do little to change the situation for the vast majority of community complexes. The continued categorisation of those pools as public pools and the consequent need for lifeguards renders the proposed changes as unworkable as the problems of availability and cost remain.

For years Russell Flick and Linda Leblanc have canvassed for the adoption of the European Standard EN 15288 which clearly and correctly categorises complex pools. This also places the responsibility for control and supervision of the pools where it rightly belongs, the pool operator, in most cases the complex administration committee.

Surely, Cyprus should follow the rest of Europe and adopt EN 15288

Ray Smith