Inverness public park could house Community Sauna Highland’s planned sauna under plans lodged with Highland Council
A public sauna could be built in an Inverness park under ambitious plans to establish the “first urban community sauna space” in the Highland capital.
Community Sauna Highland has lodged a planning application to build a sauna capable of accommodating up to 26 people at once in Bellfield Park.
Under the plans the sauna would be located in a corner of the park immediately to the east of the playground and south of the tennis courts. It would feature two small modular wooden buildings enclosed within a tall wooden fence and entrance gate, with plunge pools inside the enclosure.
Location drawings and artist’s impressions show the sauna fitting within the setting of the park’s existing trees, with none expected to be felled. A small ornamental cherry tree that currently sits out in the open in that corner of the park would also be unaffected, with drawings showing it still in situ close to the sauna enclosure’s entrance.
“We propose an authentic outdoor community sauna that would be situated in this south east corner transforming it into a well loved place for rest and relaxation in all seasons of the year,” said Community Sauna Highland in supporting documents lodged with the application.
“In the first instance we would plan to use any profits to support groups to overcome barriers to sauna bathing, improving access to the benefits of the sauna space and building a local and diverse community of Highland sauna bathers.
“We would hope to care for and nurture this corner of the park, for example by improving and maintaining the outdoor gym also located here, and contributing to the maintenance and operation of the public toilets in the park.”
If it is approved they hope the park will be embraced by people of all ages from across the community.
“The sauna will hold a maximum of 26 people, however we do not expect it to run at 100 per cent capacity,” they continued. “People will come to the site for rest and relaxation and the culture of the site will be quiet and peaceful with no alcohol, no music and very limited screen use and respect for all users.
“We hope that people of all ages, adults and children, will use the site and this will depend on the parameters of insurance we set up.”
They added that the residential setting of the park will also be respected once the sauna is operational.
“This will be an urban sauna in a public park, in a residential area. As such activity and use of the site will be peaceful, quiet and in keeping with its surroundings,” they continued. “There will not be music or loud activities and we will protect the ambiance of the site as a quiet restful place.
“Bellfield Park is busy with tennis and children playing in the park, we would not expect the sauna to make any more noise or disturbance of the area than these already well established uses of the park.”
If approved Community Sauna Highland expects to initially open the sauna four days a week - from 4pm to 10pm on Thursdays and Fridays and between 8am and 10pm at weekends.
However, if the site is successful they hope to then extend operations until such a point that the sauna is operational 8am to 10pm seven days a week.
