Save ‘jewel’ of Corfu, Durrell’s widow appeals to Greek PM
THE widow of the writer and naturalist Gerald Durrell has appealed directly to the Greek prime minister to avert the destruction of the “jewel in the crown” of the country’s biodiversity sites.
Lee Durrell has written a letter urging Kyriakos Mitsotakis to call off bulldozers that are clearing vegetation on Corfu’s Erimitis peninsula, a rare surviving patch of the unspoilt island wilderness made famous by the author of My Family and Other Animals.
It has been earmarked for a major tourist development.
Mrs Durrell, who has lived for decades on Corfu, wrote: “I and many other residents care very deeply about the wild nature that can still be found in a few places on Corfu, even 80 years after my late husband immortalised it in his writings.
“Erimitis lies like a precious green jewel on the north east coast and is one of the most biodiverse areas in all of Greece, with its huge strawberry trees, giant heathers, numerous orchids, insects and migratory birds, as well as extensive sea grass beds off shore.
“Please consider keeping, treasuring and safeguarding Erimitis as a jewel in the crown of Greece and Corfu. ”
NCH Capital, a New York investment fund, wants to build a five-star hotel, 40 luxury villas, nearly 80 stand-alone suites and a marina on the site. It says its €120million “Kassiopi Project” will bring jobs, have minimal environmental impact, and has been designed in sympathy with the local landscape.
The project has received backing from Mr Mitsotakis, who has described it as a model investment for rebuilding the Greek economy.
But campaigners say it will destroy the island’s few remaining unspoilt patches of nature.
Nat Rothschild, the British financier whose family owns a home nearby, last year described the project as “an environmental disaster of the worst kind.”
Erimitis Plous, a local campaign group, has unsuccessfully challenged the development in court several times. They still hope a challenge by the local municipality, which owns the footpaths in the area, could stall the project.
“Landscapes in Corfu can recover quite quickly, so the damage done so far is something that can be repaired,” said Kostas Kaloudis, of the Ionian Environment Network, one of the groups opposing the development.
“The main court cases are still open and we are working on a submission to the European Court. So we hope we will have some legal wings.”
Andreas Santis, an NCH spokesman, said: “We have started the preparations for the foundations for the construction work in accordance with our agreements with the Greek government.”