The The Schleswig Administrative Court ruled on 6 November 2026 that the construction ban imposed in June 2024 construction ban for the logistics centre planned by Hillwood in Ellerau (Segeberg district) remains in force. The judges rejected the investor’s application to lift the ban. The key point was that the changes subsequently submitted to the planning documents materially affect the assumptions made so far and therefore cannot be examined as part of the ongoing expedited proceedings.
The main issue is the impact on traffic. According to the authorities, Hillwood had reduced the originally projected number of HGV journeys from around 1,600 to approximately 700–780 per day, presenting this as a reduction in the burden. The court did not regard this as a mere clarification, but as a fundamental change to the plans requiring a formal administrative procedure, with a fresh assessment and public consultation. The interim injunction cannot be lifted without such a procedure.
The dispute over the project has been ongoing for years. Segeberg district had granted planning permission. The neighbouring town of Quickborn challenged this, citing the risk of the road network being overloaded. The construction site has been inactive since June 2024. The latest ruling means the situation remains unchanged: work already under way may not continue.
Reactions in the region have been mixed. Quickborn saw the ruling as confirmation of its objections to additional traffic and called for a comprehensive reassessment of traffic flows. The municipality of Ellerau and Segeberg district administration pointed to the further assessments now required. Hillwood may challenge the decision through the courts; the authorities, meanwhile, are free to require a new, standard approval procedure.
For the region in the south of Schleswig-Holstein, the fundamental question remains how large-scale logistics developments can be reconciled with existing infrastructure. The case concerns not only access to the site itself, but also the capacity of nearby junctions and the project’s integration into regional planning. The decision reorders the competing interests: construction at the site will not resume for the time being without a robust, authority-approved traffic plan. It is unclear how quickly a possible new procedure could begin and conclude; this will depend on the scope and quality of the documents still to be submitted and on the involvement of the affected municipalities.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).