Sauna plan evaporates due to cost and demand
Hartlepool CouncilA sauna and steam room will not form part of a new leisure centre due to fears over limited demand and high provisional costs.
Hartlepool Borough Council said choosing to add these facilities to the Highlight facility, currently being built near the Marina, "would incur high costs, delay the project, and risk the project overall".
A meeting heard that a petition requesting a sauna had garnered large support.
Councillor Gary Allen said residents and users were consulted "multiple times" before plans were drawn up, but added the council was happy to discuss the issue further.
In the meeting, it was asked why the sauna and steam room located at Mill House Leisure Centre "never reopened" following its closure during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.
In response, it was said the existing facilities at Mill House had to be "reopened cautiously" post 2021 and "were in a poor condition and did not meet quality standards, leading to frequent complaints".
It was also claimed the income generated was "minimal" and there were "high maintenance costs".
Mr Allen said it was "imperative" to focus on facilities that catered for families and generated income.