April 2026: Urban Development, Finance and Education in Lohmar

From Solar Parks to School Development – Lohmar in April 2026

What was important this month

• The Urban Development Committee unanimously approved the 37th amendment to the land use plan in the Sülzaue area.
• The Finance and Economy Committee decided to examine a holding structure for the municipal utilities and GwG.
• The School Committee criticized an urgent decision to establish a multi-grade class at the Gymnasium as unlawful.
• The approval for Solar Park Lohmar 1 was temporarily withdrawn, as the application was retracted.
• The construction of a daycare center in Lohmar-Süd is progressing, including planning for a turning facility.

Urban Development: Planning and Approvals

The Urban Development Committee was particularly active in April. The 37th amendment to the land use plan for the Sülzaue area was unanimously approved. After a thorough review of comments and the public consultation in accordance with the Building Code (BauGB), the decision was made.

At the same time, the 41st amendment to the land use plan in the special area Reiterhof remained on hold, as the Regional Government of Cologne refused approval. The administration is now assessing whether the plan can be made approvable through adjustments.

Another focus was the construction of the Waldgeister daycare center in Reiterhof-Lohmar-Süd. The CDU and SPD unanimously demanded a turning facility be planned in the access road area to improve traffic flow. The final planning is now handled by the Committee for Building and Infrastructure.

Finance: Holding Structures and Authorization Transfer

In the Finance and Economy Committee, strategic financial decisions were in focus. The committee decided to examine a holding structure for the municipal utilities and the GwG. The goal is to achieve tax advantages, asset protection, and a better strategic orientation. An external expert opinion in the range of 5,000 to 10,000 euros will be commissioned for this purpose.

Additionally, a authorization transfer of 30.83 million euros from 2025 to 2026 was unanimously approved. This allows the administration to plan investments and projects more flexibly.

Education: Criticism of Urgent Decisions

In the School Committee, there were sharp discussions about the urgent decision to establish an additional first-grade class at the Gymnasium. The committee criticized the decision as unlawful, as the right to participate was bypassed. Nevertheless, the class remained in place to avoid chaos.

In addition, the School Committee demanded that four children who were rejected by the comprehensive school be accepted anyway, as the class size limit was not exceeded. For the future, it was also decided to commission an early school development plan to create long-term planning certainty.

Overview and Outlook

April 2026 in Lohmar was characterized by decisions in the areas of urban development, finance and education. While solar parks, holding structures and land use plans were discussed in the town hall, the School Committee mainly focused on legal participation rights and school development plans.

In the future, it will be particularly important to ensure transparency and legal compliance in all decision-making processes. At the same time, environmental and energy planning remains a central topic, especially with regard to the possible reorientation of the solar park project.

Final Verdict and Outlook

April 2026 has shown that Lohmar is actively preparing for future challenges – from urban development through financial strategies to education. Decisions such as the holding structure or the school development plan show that the city thinks and acts strategically.

In May, the focus will be on the further development of the land use plan in Reiterhof, the implementation of the school development plan, and financial consultations on the external expert opinion. Citizens can look forward to further decisions and discussions in the town hall.