A PLEA has been made to allow a sauna to remain at Seatown Beach.

Dorset Council rejected a previous application when it was asked for together with planning permission for three food vans. The council said all were ‘detrimental’ to the setting of the Heritage Coast.

Since then a petition has been launched in favour of the Seatown Sauna Haus and a planning permission submitted for the sauna alone.

The operator Sarah Higgins, from Dorchester, says the wheeled, removable unit, to the side of the car park, opposite the pub, is complementary to the Seatown Regeneration Plan and enhances visits both for tourists and local people and has a strong following.

She claims that it boosts visitors at the shoulder months of the year with many going on to use The Anchor.

“There are now many such sauna cabins along the south and other coasts and this is an increasingly popular and healthy recreational activity, along with ‘cold water swimming’, with these sauna units being granted planning consent by their respective planning authorities. All are unique and small independent businesses, passionate about wellbeing and sauna as a tool for enhancing community,” said Ms Higgins in her application to Dorset Council.

She argues that the small structure, 4 metres by 3 metres, is relatively inconspicuous in its setting close to the Anchor Inn, the more prominent car park, and the adjacent Anchor Cottage.

“It is already within a ‘visually busy’ location and context, so is not prominent, to any unacceptable degree, but adds an appropriate use and ‘vibrancy and vitality’ to the coastal scene,”

The council will be told that the petition in favour of the sauna has attracted almost 2,000 signatures since it was launched in February, with many testimonials about the benefits of using it, many also wild swimming in the sea.

Said one, Caroline: “As a local resident, my friends, family and I have enjoyed using the Seaside Sauna and benefited so much from it over the past 3 years. It would be a shame and a great loss to the community and visitors if it were not allowed to continue at Seatown beach, where the cedarwood caravan is a beautiful sight, and Sarah and her helpers have always been so welcoming to all. The Seaside Sauna has many health benefits for young and old, whether you’re suffering from stress, long Covid, tiredness or just need to relax by the sea. It’s a fun activity to do with friends and relatives and attracts like-minded people who love nature.”

Said Sarah Higgins: “The Seaside Sauna Haus on Seatown beach is not just a structure; it's a beacon of wellness that encourages this connection all year round, even into the depths of winter… “The sauna symbolises slowing down, recouping and recharging through heating the body and cooling outside. It offers warmth, social interaction, and all the physical & mental health benefits of authentic wood-fired sauna bathing. Regular sauna use can reduce risks of cardiovascular diseases and improve overall wellbeing.”

Public comments on the available, 2024/01968, remain open until May 18th.