Wellbeing

Prom sauna plan runs out of steam

A BID TO OPEN a mobile sauna on Portobello Promenade proved too hot to handle for councillors and local residents.

Kirsty Carver’s street trader licence application to operate Soul Water Sauna at the foot of James Street attracted 73 public objections and was rejected when it came before councillors at the city council’s licensing sub-committee.

The council’s Road Services team objected, claiming the location was unsuitable and a potential safety risk for Prom users, while environmental health officials said the sauna would breach the

Control of Smoke Free Zones and would likely cause nuisance to nearby residents.

Conservation watchdog The Cockburn Association also waded in, claiming that if the sauna application was approved it would set a precedent for other temporary facilities to be able to set up shop on the Prom.

Ms Carver had hoped the wood fired sauna would be popular with wild swimmers and would introduce “sauna culture” to Edinburgh, helping users to reconnect with nature in addition to offering health benefits.

But her plans for a Promenade hotspot received a cool welcome. She said: “The result of the meeting was disappointing, but we’ve heard and appreciated the support received from the community. Local residents and businesses, as well as councillors, are interested to see the possibility of a greater focus on wellbeing, community and leisure on Portobello’s popular promenade. “We are encouraged by suggestions and ideas of how to make this better for all and to look at alternative locations. So, we take comfort that the idea itself was not in question, which leaves us optimistic that we can deliver our aims.

“We’re going to continue with our intentions of bringing an authentic sauna experience to Portobello, we’re just taking the longer journey to the destination. This seems much in the spirit of thoughtful development of a location we all treasure.”