Planning round-up 19 June 2026
RETROSPECTIVE planning permission is being sought for two mobile saunas near the St Ninian’s beach.
Applicant Haar Sauna said in a supporting statement that discussions were held with Shetland Islands Council regarding the mobile nature of the saunas prior to them going into use, “and it was understood that planning permission may not be required”.
It added that the saunas have been located on private land with the landowner’s permission, with monthly rent being paid.
Following a site visit, a planning officer advised that retrospective planning permission is required for the saunas and associated infrastructure.
“Haar Sauna Ltd has continued to engage constructively with Shetland Islands Council and is now seeking retrospective planning permission,” the document said, with there being an aim to “regularise development”.
The retrospective application is for two converted horse box saunas on a grassed area, with the applicant saying they support the “principles of sustainable development and promotes the health and wellbeing of both Shetland residents and visitors”.
It added that the location was “carefully selected to minimise any impact on the surrounding environment”.
In May Haar took to Facebook to say that the saunas had moved further up the beach, closer to the car park area, due to sand movement being difficult to manage.
Haar sauna sessions have taken place at St Ninian’s since 2023, with the company founded by Callum Scott and Hannah Mary Goodlad. Goodlad, who was elected as Shetland’s MSP in May, resigned as a director of the company in February.
The company received planning permission for siting another sauna at the back of Brevik House in Lerwick late last year.
PRIOR notification has been lodged for the replacement of windows at the former Kveldsro Hotel in Lerwick, which NHS Shetland has bought for staff accommodation.
The work would include replacing 40 windows, while 26 window frames would be changed from red to white to match other frames.
NHS Shetland said in May that it had bought the dormant hotel building, with purchase and refurbishment expected to total around £1.2 million – with the funding coming from the Scottish Government.
THE SIC’s roads department says it has no objections to a planning application which would allow knitwear company BAKKA to site its van on Burns Walk in Lerwick.
Responding to a planning application, roads manager Neil Hutcheson said the premise behind the proposal being an acceptable use of the area has been established over a number of years through BAKKA’s street trader’s licence for Burns Walk.
The planning application had been submitted to allow the van to be located at Burns Walk more than 28 days a year currently allowed through the street trading licence.
Hutcheson added: “The proposed extra days trading that are requested by this application won’t introduce any significant change, and so there is not deemed to be an adverse impacts relating to the positioning of the unit.”
BAKKA’s Mary Macgregor said in a supporting statement that she would not park the van there overnight, and added that she would only be seeking to “slightly extend” the number of days trading to cover the entire cruise ship season.
AN EXTENSION of the changing building at the Cunningsburgh football pitch has been proposed.
Plans show that the 7.4m x 4.7m extension would allow for a gym area to be created.
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