Community sauna planned as council proposes land leases

Nation.Cymru staff

A new community sauna could be developed and sports changing rooms taken over by a local group under council proposals to lease two sites.

Cardiff Council is proposing the arrangements at Pontcanna Caravan Park and Pontcanna Fields, with both areas remaining in council ownership.

Land at the caravan park would be leased to enable not-for-profit community interest company Sawna to develop a sauna facility. Planning permission was granted earlier this year.

Alongside saunas, the development would include cold plunges, changing rooms, showers, communal space and cycle parking.

Separately, sports and community groups will be invited to express an interest in taking responsibility for the changing rooms at Pontcanna Fields.

Details of that process will be published on the Cardiff Council Property website. The council said all existing users of the changing rooms had been informed of the proposals.

Legal notices will advertise the proposed “disposal” of 1,141 square metres of land at Pontcanna Fields and 906 square metres at Pontcanna Caravan Park.

In this case, “disposal” means granting a lease rather than selling the land.

Councillor Leo Thomson, Cabinet Member for Finance, Modernisation and Performance, said leasing council-owned land could help community organisations and sports clubs secure funding to improve facilities.

He said such arrangements enabled groups to “access new funding opportunities, deliver investment and either improve existing facilities or create brand new ones”.