Permanent sauna proposed for beach

Plans have been lodged to build a sauna within a beach's conservation area.

King Edward's Bay in Tynemouth could soon be home to a permanent timber sauna after plans submitted to North Tyneside Council have proven popular with locals.

The sauna, if approved, will sit in the Tynemouth Village Conservation Area, which is regulated with special restrictions with developments required to have "the utmost regard for the character of the surrounding environment".

Critics claim the heritage area should not be "abused" and plans will pile on more "development pressure".

The proposed sauna would sit on the coastal slope leading down to King Edward's Bay.

Submitted by local self-care company Steam and Salt, the plans have amassed more than 80 supportive comments on the council's planning portal with few objections.

Heritage group the Northumberland and Newcastle Society have recommended the proposal be subjected to a three-year trial to monitor its use, given its location within the conservation area.

Steam and Salt already offer sauna sessions on King Edward's Bay, but from tents on the sand.

Supporters of the proposal believe the permanent hut will "serve the community well", citing the health and wellbeing benefits of the sauna.

Meanwhile, some have been vocal on the impact it will have on the beauty of the bay, along with the environmental pressures the drainage and wood burning could incur.

Environmental monitoring agency Natural England has also been consulted and has found that the sauna, as proposed, "will not have a significant impact" on the local ecology.

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