Denmark reopens protection case for 179-hectare Næstved military training ground

The protection of Næstved Øvelsesplads is back on the agenda after Miljø- og Fødevareklagenævnet annulled the conservation board’s refusal and ordered the case reheard. Fredningsnævnet for Sydsjælland, Møn, Lolland og Falster has now called a public meeting for Friday 20 November 2026 at 10.00 at Retten i Næstved, where objections, amendment proposals and compensation claims must be presented. The notice is published in Statstidende of 22 October 2026 as case S20102026-183, journal number FN-SSJ-07-2023.

A three-year procedural chain

The case began on 6 February 2023, when Danmarks Naturfredningsforening and Næstved Kommune jointly proposed protecting the former military training area. On 16 January 2024, Fredningsnævnet for Sydsjælland, Møn, Lolland og Falster decided not to protect the site. That decision was overturned on 25 June 2026, when Miljø- og Fødevareklagenævnet set it aside and remitted the matter to the conservation board for fresh consideration.

The proposal covers 179 hectares in all, made up of matr.nr. 3 Rønnebæksholm Hgd., Rønnebæk, together with matr.nr. 68d and 69 Rønnebæk By, Rønnebæk. The land is owned in its entirety by Forsvaret, the Danish Defence Establishment, which is therefore the sole landowner affected by any compensation claim.

Five stated purposes of the protection

The notice lists the aims of the proposed protection order:

• to preserve and improve the area’s natural values, with particular focus on habitats for vulnerable and threatened species and on the variety of habitat types once Forsvaret ceases to use the land;
• to preserve and improve the landscape and nature qualities of the area;
• to preserve and improve the area’s future recreational use;
• to create a basis for nature management;
• to help Denmark meet its international treaty obligations on nature protection.

The meeting and how to be heard

Under § 37, stk. 7 of the conservation law, objections to or proposed amendments of a protection proposal, as well as claims for compensation arising from the protection, must be submitted at the meeting or in writing to the conservation board. The board will explain the proposal and the course of the case at the meeting, and those attending will have the opportunity to comment. Immediately after the meeting the board will inspect Næstved Øvelsesplads on site.

The venue is the family court division at Retten i Næstved, Gardehusarvej 5, 4700 Næstved, with the entrance to the family court on Kasernevej 20. Those unable to attend may send remarks to sydsjaelland@fredningsnaevn.dk quoting journal number FN-SSJ-07-2023. The proposal with annexes and the decision of Miljø- og Fødevareklagenævnet are available through the conservation boards’ announcement page.

The notice is signed by Anders Martin Jensen, chairman of Fredningsnævnet for Sydsjælland, Møn, Lolland og Falster, and issued through Styrelsen for Grøn Arealomlægning og Vandmiljø in Odense on 20 October 2026. Enquiries can be directed to the board at telephone 99685200.

Why it matters

The 20 November meeting is the single formal window in which neighbours, local nature users and the landowner can put objections and compensation demands on the record before the board decides the case for a second time. With 179 hectares of defence land at stake and a prior refusal already struck down on appeal, the outcome will shape both the future recreational access to the area and the state’s liability towards Forsvaret as owner.

Source: Statstidende, 22 October 2026, section I (Forskellige kundgørelser) (official reference: S20102026-183).