Plans Filed for Community Sauna Complex at Crystal Palace Park

Crystal Palace Park Trust, working with Community Sauna Baths — a non-profit already operating similar facilities at sites across London — has submitted a planning application to Bromley Council for a community sauna complex in the north corner of Crystal Palace Park, near the iconic transmitter tower. The proposed temporary facility, if approved, would include four saunas (one wheelchair-accessible), plunge pools, showers, changing cubicles, a therapy space and a refreshments counter. It would accommodate up to 50 people at a time and up to 200 visitors per day, operating from 7am to 10pm daily with a half-day closure once a week for maintenance. Typical pricing would be £12 per hour with a £6 concession rate, and free sessions would be offered for local health groups. The application covers a five-year temporary use only, with all structures designed to be demountable. Part of the practical driver for the proposal is that Crystal Palace Park Trust must vacate its current offices inside the National Sports Centre — which is undergoing a £130 million upgrade and renovation — and the plans incorporate a cabin-style replacement office. Bromley Council has not yet made a decision, so no opening date has been confirmed.