New ball playground for Böhlitz-Ehrenberg: hope for young people!

New ball playground for Böhlitz-Ehrenberg: hope for young people!

On May 28, 2025, the Leipzig city council discussed the construction of a ball game sports facility in Böhlitz-Ehrenberg at a meeting. Jana Plewka, who took the initiative to set up such a playground, was able to count on a positive response from the Petitions Committee. As the Leipzig Internet newspaper reported, the petition was already dealt with on May 21st and met with great interest. The mayor Denis Achtner underlined the problems that Böhlitz-Ehrenberg is facing in the leisure activities of young people. Two important open spaces in the district have been lost in recent years, making the need for new leisure activities even more urgent.

The local youth club was closed in the summer of 2023 due to a lack of financial support. At the same time, a basketball hoop in the Bielagarten had to be dismantled after complaints from residents and a noise report spoke against its use. The Petitions Committee then issued three specific test orders to evaluate the potential for building a ball court. In particular, minimum distances from residential development and the integration of a streetball court into the plans for the three-field sports hall should be examined.

Unanimous support for new game offerings

The majority of the city council voted 31:7 and 24 abstained in favor of the Green Party's proposal, which envisages the concrete construction of a streetball field. Mayor Burkhard Jung confirmed that examinations have already taken place on this topic, but that a suitable location in connection with the three-field sports hall has not yet been found. It was all the more important that the council members agreed on the need for such a facility for the youth in Böhlitz-Ehrenberg. The overall bill received a convincing mandate with a vote of 61-0.

Another point of discussion was the existing streetball facility on Bielastrasse. According to a request from the local council, there are concerns about noise emissions that prevent the facility from being restored. The responsible office had originally provided 10,000 euros for the repairs, but these funds have now been declared obsolete. Instead, alternative youth play equipment such as calisthenics facilities are being considered, which take noise protection into account better.

Future prospects for open spaces

The problem of noise protection also represents a challenge for the development of additional open spaces. Community initiatives for open space development play a central role, as does the Environmental Justice Toolbox shows. It is important that municipal planning in the interests of the citizens is actively promoted in order to increase the quality of life in the neighborhoods.

With the planned citizen participation for 2025, the opinions of children and young people will also be incorporated into the planning. The new ball court could not only be a place for sporting activities, but also a meeting place for the community. This approach to involving youth shows how important contemporary urban development is that takes residents' needs into account.

With these decisions, the city council is emphasizing the importance of open spaces and signaling that Böhlitz-Ehrenberg should continue to be a place for sporting activities and communal experiences in the future.