Plans for a community sauna on the site of a former caravan site in Crystal Palace Park have been lodged with Bromley Council. The planning application, submitted by the Crystal Palace Park Trust (CPPT) and Community Sauna Baths CIC (CSB), also includes an office for the trust to manage day-to-day park operations.
Health and social benefits cited in application
The organisations believe the sauna will bring health and social benefits to Crystal Palace residents. Planning documents state: “The mental and physical health benefits of saunas combined with accessible pricing creates a community health asset. Attending a community sauna can help combat isolation and loneliness and is used by those who would not have the financial means to visit other saunas. There are many other health benefits of regular sauna and cold plunge use and it is used to ease symptoms of many chronic health conditions.”
The application seeks planning permission for the sauna to operate for a period of five years, with all elements of the proposed structure designed to be temporary and easily removable.
Location and facility details
The sauna and office space would be built in part of the former Caravan and Motorhome Club site at the northernmost corner of the park, near the transmitting station. It would be located next to the Rockhills Residential development site, where 202 homes are currently planned.
The facility will contain four different saunas—including one with disabled access—as well as plunge pools, showers, changing cubicles, a therapies space and a counter serving refreshments. The community sauna will be open to the public from 7am to 10pm, seven days a week, with a half-day closure once a week for maintenance. It will be able to accommodate up to 50 people at a time, but CSB anticipates 200 visitors a day.
CSB's existing operations and pricing
CSB currently operates five sauna sites throughout London, with locations in Hackney, Camberwell, Walthamstow, Stratford and Peckham. Another site in Stoke Newington was approved earlier this month. Prices for an hour session typically cost £12 standard and £6 concession. CSB also offers free sessions to local health and community groups.
CPPT have been the custodians of Crystal Palace Park since 2023, taking over responsibility from Bromley Council. The trust’s mission is to “protect, manage and improve Crystal Palace Park as a green, open, historic, ecological, recreational, sporting, cultural and educational resource in the interests of the community and other park users.”
Trust's relocation and office plans
The trust has grown rapidly over three years and now has 26 staff, 21 of which work full time. CPPT has been told it must vacate its current home in the National Sports Centre ahead of the centre’s £130m upgrade. The proposed office space would be located within a temporary cabin-type structure with a total floor area of 188msq.
The full planning application can be viewed on Bromley Council’s planning portal at reference 26/03341/FPA.
