Plans to construct a joint national performance center for floorball and badminton in the municipalities of Kernenried and Lyssach face significant obstacles due to opposition centered around the protection of a local wooded area. Swiss Unihockey and Swiss Badminton have identified the site as their preferred location for a shared elite training hub, but environmental and land-use concerns have stalled the project.
Project Background and the Kernenried-Lyssach Site
Swiss Unihockey and Swiss Badminton proposed the joint facility to centralize training operations for national teams and elite prospects. The proposed location spans land in Kernenried and Lyssach, two neighboring communities in the canton of Bern. Governing bodies in both sports view a consolidated national performance center as vital for international competitiveness, offering modern courts, strength and conditioning spaces, and administrative offices under one roof.
National performance centers in Swiss sports typically require substantial acreage to accommodate multi-court gymnasiums and support infrastructure. Regional planning documents show that the chosen perimeter includes patches of protected forest and ecologically sensitive vegetation. Local zoning rules strictly regulate development near these wooded pockets, triggering friction between sports infrastructure demands and environmental protection mandates.
Environmental Concerns Over the Local Grove
Opposition to the project centers primarily on the preservation of the local wooded area, commonly referred to by residents and local groups as the target grove. Environmental advocates and neighborhood representatives argue that constructing the sports complex would permanently alter or fragment a valuable local ecosystem.
Swiss environmental legislation provides strong safeguards for wooded areas and wildlife corridors. Local protection groups point out that clearing trees or altering the hydrological conditions near the grove could harm local flora and fauna. Planning authorities must weigh the public interest in promoting elite athletic development against federal and cantonal statutes designed to protect green spaces from commercial and institutional encroachment.
Next Steps for Swiss Unihockey and Swiss Badminton
With the project facing delays, representatives from Swiss Unihockey and Swiss Badminton are reviewing alternative planning adjustments to address environmental concerns. Discussions involving municipal councils in Kernenried and Lyssach, cantonal planning offices, and sporting officials remain ongoing.
Project stakeholders have not yet announced a revised timeline for zoning approval or construction. Further updates regarding the facility’s status are expected through official communications from the respective sports federations and cantonal planning boards.
Related reading
