Two sauna wagons at Årstaviken on Södermalm risk losing their building permit following a decision by the County Administrative Board. The board has decided to revoke the permit granted by Stockholm City, citing that the wagons restrict public access to the location. The saunas, opened last autumn by Emilia Almqvist Jansson and her brother August, were intended as an alternative to traditional sauna associations with long waiting times.
According to SVT Stockholm, the decision came after complaints from neighbors about disturbing smoke. The County Administrative Board's reasoning is that the wagons limit public access to the area, referencing detailed planning regulations. Emilia Almqvist Jansson expressed disappointment with the decision, stating there appears to be 'quite a lot of misunderstanding' in the ruling and plans to appeal.
It feels like there's quite a lot of misunderstanding in this decision.
The case highlights ongoing bureaucratic challenges for sauna construction in Stockholm, with the Green Party (Miljöpartiet) continuing work on city-wide guidelines for sauna regulations.
That's how democracy works, you should be able to have an opinion.