Mega fun park at the HBG sports field: citizen protest stops the project!

Mega fun park at the HBG sports field: citizen protest stops the project!

On December 28, 2025, the plans for the urban mega fun park at the sports field of the Hermann-Billung-Gymnasium (HBG) in Celle fell through. At an information event in June 2023 in the old parade hall, it became clear that public interest in the project and citizen involvement were not sufficient. How Celle press According to reports, the project was on a roll from the start and failed at the planned location, which led to dissatisfaction and incomprehension among the population.

At the last meeting of the Committee for Urban Development and Building, the agenda was rather thin, and it was obvious to many people present that the project was on the verge of collapse. School operations and the requirements for physical education classes contradicted the intended public recreational use of the space. Headmaster Alexander Hein said that there was a lack of involvement in the discussions. This meant that the perspective of the students and the school parent council was left out.

Planning problems

Following an application from the AfD, the city administration developed a concept for the fun park in November 2024. But the redesign of the HBG sports field was not only met with joy, but also with criticism. Important agreements with the district and school management were missed. District Administrator Axel Flader tried to mediate between the city and the school, but the administration ultimately withdrew from the project.

Overall, the project costs were estimated at around 2.9 million euros. 22,000 euros have already been raised to create the concept. According to regulations, the city of Celle is obliged to provide schools with suitable sports facilities, which is why the headmaster plans to develop a requirements profile for the school sports facility.

Citizen participation and urban development

The failure of the fun park also sheds light on the issue of citizen participation. In the context of urban development, active participation by citizens is not only desirable, but is increasingly required. This describes it Civil society that early dialogue between citizens and municipalities is crucial. In this regard, it is to be hoped that future initiatives in the urban area will offer more space for participation and involvement of the population.

While the fun park project failed, there is also positive news. In July, the Celle municipal utility company launched a citizen participation project in which citizens can invest in solar projects in order to benefit from attractive conditions. This could be a step towards greater involvement of the population and thus also a hope for future urban development projects.