Hour-long sessions at the sauna may cost as little as £6, reports Sebastian Mann, Local Democracy Reporter
Walthamstow could soon be home to a community-run bath house offering sauna sessions and massage treatments.
Community Sauna CIC has applied to the borough council for a license to operate a sauna in the Blackhorse Road area.
The company runs several not-for-profit saunas across London, with houses in Stratford, Peckham, and Bermondsey. It is headquartered in the Eastways Baths in Hackney Wick, which dates back to the 1930s.
Hour-long sessions can cost as little as £6 and up to £15 during “peak” times, according to the community interest company’s website.
In promotional material the company says it wants to make the “authentic” sauna experience more readily available, on the strength of its “health, social and community benefits”.
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The license will be determined by the licensing committee within the coming months. Residents can object to the scheme, as they would a planning application, but would need to argue their case before the committee.
Community Sauna CIC Co-director Rob Dumas says: “Many regular customers at the Hackney and Stratford sites are cycling or getting the overground from Walthamstow, it just makes sense for our next stop to be in the neighbourhood!
“Sauna provides many health benefits, there’s more and more science to back it. Using a sauna once a day for four weeks has been shown to reduce symptoms of depression, including better appetite and reduced anxiety.
“At our Community Saunas we aim to give people a space for reflection. Modern life is increasingly frenetic and we want to offer a calm space for people to slow down, relax and unwind. The heat helps to empty the mind and provide natural stimulus for inspiration.”
He added: “We’re on a mission is to provide this experience affordably across London, with a low price point as well as accessibility and social prescribing schemes.”
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