Hello Outdoors proposing to Lymington and Pennington Town Council to open town’s sea water baths and a sauna over the winter

WINTER sauna sessions could be launched at Lymington’s sea water baths if plans go ahead.

Community interest company Hello Outdoors has proposed to the town council that it opens and manages the site over the winter, but added: “We don’t believe opening the pool on its own would provide sufficient footfall to make it viable.

“However, if we were to introduce a sauna on a temporary basis over winter, we believe this would add significantly to footfall and participation, and provide a valuable health and meeting activity for the community.”

The company said it would like to launch the sauna from 1st January, providing the correct risk assessment and insurance documentation is in place first.

At a recent full meeting of Lymington and Pennington Town Council, members discussed a “late request” by the company to consider the installation of a temporary sauna at the baths site to “trial winter usage”.

Members heard that to approve a change of use for the edge of the pool area to accommodate the sauna would mean delegating authority to the town clerk to ensure “regulatory paperwork is in order before the facility is trialled and operational”.

Pennington ward Cllr Thomas Brindley asked if the late application for a sauna by Hello Outdoors, which rents the office space above the sea water baths offices, needs planning permission.

The town clerk replied that it should not require planning permission because it would be a temporary structure.

Lymington ward Cllr Alan Penson said an application for a temporary building in the area would “normally be fine”, but warned that if the structure needs to be fixed to the ground that could require listed building consent.

He warned there had been a previous similar application in which the town clerk had been “threatened” with legal proceedings, but jokingly added: “Fortunately they were not locked up.”

Pennington Cllr Jack Davies said he would be “happy to run” the application past NFDC’s planners and is “hopeful” they would give positive feedback.

Cllr Brindley warned that NFDC usually charges for planning compatibility checks and said the applicant should pay any associated costs.

Chair Cllr Colm McCarthy said the checks were “worth doing”.

Pennington Cllr Martina Humber then suggested if the sauna plan “falls through” there could be a mud bath there instead for people to use “before or after a swim”.

Lymington Town Cllr Jacqui England agreed that concerns over planning issues were “valid” and worth investigating with the district council.

A town council officer said he should be able to get some free guidance from NFDC’s planners before having to pay for a planning check.

Before voting unanimously in favour of the proposal, members agreed the town clerk should get some guidance from district planners in order to ensure paperwork is in place before the sauna facility can be trialled.