Mobile sauna to operate at former Edinburgh golf course at weekends after Lothianburn plans approved
A mobile sauna is set to operate at a former Edinburgh golf course at weekends, after plans were approved by the council.
Pentland View Sauna applied for permission on August 5 to site a mobile sauna for use Friday to Sunday at the former Lothianburn Golf Club, 106 Biggar Road, which closed in 2013.
The existing club house is now used as offices rented out to a variety of users and the actual golf course is now subject to a variety of uses such as hillwalking, horse riding, running clubs along with other outdoor leisure uses. Long-term there is also plans to establish a mountain bike centre in the locality.
A short walk from the site is the Swanston Brasserie and wellness barn which hosts many other activities. It is envisaged that the proposed mobile sauna will compliment these existing uses.
The applicant said: "Pentland View sauna will be uniquely located, accessible and aligned with the overall wellness theme. We will attract our target clientele through marketing which will promote the benefits of outdoor saunas.
“Saunas offer a range of mental, physical and societal benefits. The positioning of the sauna will provide a tranquil and relaxing location, with windows, looking out over the Pentland Hills, allowing the mind and body to relax.
“We wish to engage with the local community and build relationships with other wellness focused businesses to create a supportive network that is affordable and accessible for everyone.”
The external barrel and walls of the sauna will be constructed from Nordic Thermowood and the windows will be formed from toughened safety glass. The barrel will measure 2.99m by 2.09m by 2m, with the flue measuring 71cm.
Approving the plans on October 16, the council’s chief planning officer David Givan said: “The proposed mobile sauna is acceptable in terms of its scale and design and would not detract from the rural environment and landscape of the area in terms of its quality, characteristics and views. There are no material considerations which outweigh this conclusion.”
The trailer mounted sauna would be kept within the existing car parking area from close of business on a Sunday evening until the operation starts on the Friday afternoon.
While the sauna is in use it would be located on the flat area which previously accommodated the green for the gold course.
The sauna will be heated by a log burning sauna stove. It is proposed that the new sauna will accommodate between 6-8 persons at any given time. The hours of operation will be Friday - 3pm until 9pm, Saturday – 7am until 9 pm, Sunday – 8am until 9pm.
Customers will book their allocated time slot online, the customer would then receive an e-mail confirming instructions for when they arrive at the site. Having been fully prepaid there will therefore be no money changing hands at the facility.
A member of staff from Pentland View Saunas will be on hand to ensure the customers adhere to the operating instructions and safe use of the sauna. The sauna will always have a fully trained member of staff on site while in use.
The applicant now has three years to place the mobile sauna at the former Edinburgh golf course, with the planning application receiving no public comments on the council’s online planning portal.
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