Edward Goody
Kazim Karabek 5
Lapta, Girne

June 30 2008
Dear Mr. Mayor;

It became necessary for us to leave our home for Germany to avoid consultations which we fear could lead to violence and to enable us to mentally recuperate from daily stress which we are forced to endure due to the metal factory located directly across from our home.

This is fifth letter in the past three years we have written to your office and write once again to inform you that your council and the Lapta police have allowed the metal factory to become totally out of control ! ! !

Totally out of control means the factory has absolutely no respect for the law or for their neighbours by allowing vehicle engines to be racing at all hour of the night with the first vehicles arriving normally at 6:15 am with work commencing prior to 7am and continuing six days a week until after 9 pm. In fact, not even one time during the past six weeks has the factory actually closed by 7pm which we understand by law is the time the factory must close.

Loud machinery has been moved from inside of the factory to outdoors to perhaps keep workers cooler but it is totally disrespectful to neighbours. As is the burning of plastic and other toxic rubbish when the wind blows in our direction.

Our complaints to the factory have been answered by vindictive action such as late night hammering against metal tanks, the blowing of vehicle horns as workers drive past our property and vehicles left parked at the factory with radios are blaring.

Our shouting at workers to stop making noise is answered with intimidations and responses such as “fuck off” causing my wife and I to no longer feel safe in our own home. Further more we fear unless action is taken no doubt this situation will escalate from shouting insults at each other into violence.

Whilst on Saturday afternoons other factories close or perform less noisy work this factory is extremely loud late into the night and on Sunday there is always several short periods of work with vehicles being loaded, and metal being allowed to be drop on to the floor just to make us aware that they consider themselves to be above the law and they will continue doing what ever they please to do

When we telephone the Lapta police to report late hour noise the police no longer respond and have claimed the council has the responsibility for setting working hours.

As previously written NOWHERE else on the island is such behaviour acceptable so we ask once again why of all places should such insanity be acceptable in a Lapta residential area?

After having written numerous letters on this subject it is obvious Lapta council has no plans for placing proper controls or restrictions on this factor. The most likely reason for turning a blind eye is because it is likely it would interfere with the interests of family members.

Now that Cyprus Today highlighted this problem should corrective action not be forth-coming our story will be passed on to international news networks as well in news letters to tour and travel operators throughout Europe.

In my opinion TRNC suffers from more than enough negative publicity and countless horror stories such as ours. Such events certainly do nothing towards improving the islands image and no doubt play a major roll discouraging new settlers as well as fuel the current mass exodus from the island.

I for one have always been very supportive of TRNC thus taking problems to news media is NOT our preferred path however, because of the extreme stress caused by constant noise levels for hours on end damaging both mine and my wives health we feel justified exploring every possible avenue to prevent the quality of our lives being totally destroyed by inconsiderate neighbours and a council that is either unwilling or not strong enough to guarantee ALL members of their community are able to enjoy peace and live in harmony.

We are asking for nothing more than for the factory to be required to actually close at lawful hours and that the closing times be enforced to enable us to enjoy peace and tranquillity in our own home.

It is not enough for the factory to just turn off machinery to claim they are closed and no longer working when noise is still being made. All work needs to be taken into considered creating noise such as the shifting of metal as well as loading and unloading vehicles.

As previously stated it is for health reasons we are presently again in Germany however Lapta is our home thus we shall return this autumn to what we hope will be an improved situation.

Thank you for your support in this matter.



Edward Goody

Suggestion: The factory should be required to erect a fence around the premises to prevent vehicles arriving and departing except during proper working hours and this would make it much easier to enforce closing times.