BCP Council (Bournemouth area): Chris Miell is thrilled to announced that he has recently secured planning permission for a new bathhouse within the Overstrand Building, which is located along Boscombe’s beach front near to the pier.
The proposed bathhouse will be operated by our long term clients the Saltwater Sauna, who operate existing saunas at Sandbanks, Avon Beach, Lulworth Cove. In addition, they have planning permission for a new sauna at SOBO Beach, which we secured for them last year.
Due to the popularity of the existing saunas and the demand for additional facilities, the Saltwater Sauna have chosen to expand their offering to the Boscombe area. The new bathhouse will be located within a vacant commerical unit, which was previously occupied by the Sorted Surf Shop.
The development will differ from the company’s other sauna facilities because it offer a large theatre-style sauna suitable for 30-40 persons. It will also provide a dedicated social area with an enclosed glass fireplace and tree stump seating for relaxation between sauna sessions.
Unlike the other sauna projects we’ve worked on with our client, this project is different because it reuses an existing commercial building, as opposed to the creation of a custom new build development. Therefore, we had to adapt our planning strategy to ensure that we maximised the chance of success.
To establish the principle of development, we first secured a lawful development certificate for the proposed use. To this regard, Chris noted that the previous retail use class of the commercial unit fell Use Class E (a), whilst the proposed use was Use Class E (d) (indoor sport, recreation or fitness). Given that movement from one primary use to another within the same use class is not development, the LPA issued a certificate confirming that planning permission was not required for the change of use to the proposed bathhouse.
With the proposed use established, we then submitted a planning application seeking approval for alterations to existing shopfront including installation of timber decking to the front of building. The plans by Shore Architecture include high quality contemporary detailing and materials to ensure the development aligns with the client’s corporate identity and other saunas.
The application was quickly approved by the LPA with the Planning Officer concluding in their report: “Overall, the proposed materials would create a contemporary appearance to the site with black windows reflecting that of the beach huts above. As such the proposal would comply with Policy CS41.”
Our client was delighted with this decision and they are now making plans to bring forward this exciting new development at Boscombe Beach. If you would like to pursue a commerical development, then why not call Pure Town Planning on 01202 585524 or email info@puretownplanning.co.uk to see how we can help you.