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Richmond Council Explores Electric Outdoor Saunas as a Potential Income Source

Richmond Council is exploring whether electric outdoor saunas could be commercially viable and support parks and leisure services. No project, supplier or revenue forecast has been confirmed.

By Bettesworth Construction Team 3 min read

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Richmond Council is exploring whether electric outdoor saunas could work commercially and operationally in its parks and leisure settings. It has not approved a sauna service, selected a supplier or published a revenue forecast: the current step is market engagement to understand what provision might involve.

What Richmond Council is considering

The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames published a preliminary market-engagement notice, “Richmond Electric Outdoor Saunas,” on 17 September 2026. Its stated purpose is “to gain a better understanding of how the market operates in relation to outdoor sauna provision and to ascertain whether potential opportunities are commercially and operationally viable.” Read the procurement notice.

The notice is exploratory, not a procurement award or confirmation that the council will proceed. It does not disclose a contract value. Richmond Council says it wants first to understand supplier interest and how outdoor sauna provision could operate. Lower-impact options, including electric-powered rather than traditional wood-fired saunas, are of particular interest. The report by Capital Post carrying Local Democracy Reporting Service coverage attributes this position to the council; it does not identify an individual official as the speaker.

Why saunas are being explored

The council’s stated rationale combines public recreation and wellbeing with the possibility of income for parks and leisure services. In a statement to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Richmond Council said: “The council is exploring growing public interest in outdoor wellness and recreation, which can bring social, health and wellbeing benefits for residents.” It also said: “There may also be opportunities to generate income to support the long-term sustainability of parks and leisure services at a time of financial pressure.” These are reasons the council is investigating the idea, not evidence of measured health outcomes or guaranteed revenue.

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What is not yet known

No Richmond sauna revenue forecast, expected customer volume, operating-cost estimate or chosen supplier is established in the published material. The council has not confirmed a location, service design, timetable or commercial arrangement. Potential income therefore remains an opportunity under consideration rather than a committed contribution to council budgets.

What a viable proposal would need to address

Whether an outdoor sauna can work depends on more than the equipment. A future proposal would need to weigh site-specific constraints, legal and planning requirements, environmental effects, financial viability and community benefit. The market-engagement exercise could help clarify the practical and commercial options; the published material does not set out final tender criteria.

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  • Site and planning: suitability of a particular park or other location, permissions and effects on the surrounding space.
  • Energy and environmental impact: the council has indicated interest in lower-impact provision, including electric power; the actual impacts would depend on the proposed installation and operation.
  • Operations and safety: responsibilities for running the facility, maintaining it and meeting applicable legal and safety requirements would need to be established.
  • Economics and public value: capital and operating costs, the council’s net income and the service’s accessibility and community benefit would all matter to an assessment.

How another city’s approach offers context

Vancouver provides an example of the questions a municipality may need to resolve, not a blueprint for Richmond. A City of Vancouver staff referral report dated 16 September 2025 describes proposed changes to enable outdoor saunas in additional locations and different approval pathways for private property and parks. For private sites, it discusses development, building and occupancy, and business-licence approvals, with electrical and fire permits potentially required case by case and a separate health-authority review. For park sites, it describes a possible public bid, permits and business licensing for successful applicants, and contract negotiations for a set term. Read the Vancouver staff report.

Vancouver’s report says its Park Board could act as landlord and receive a lease payment, revenue share or a combination. It also records 21 responses from 27 industry invitees to a May 2025 survey; a majority of respondents interested in starting a business preferred parks, beaches or outdoor pools. That is evidence of interest among those Vancouver invitees, not a measure of demand in Richmond. Vancouver’s rules and arrangements do not establish what Richmond will permit or choose.

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What happens next

Richmond’s notice establishes a supplier-engagement stage, while the accompanying report says the council has not decided whether to proceed. Any later proposal would need its own decisions on location, permissions, operating responsibilities, environmental and community impacts, and financial terms. The current information supports neither a claim that saunas are coming to Richmond parks nor a forecast of income for council services.

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