An Update from Samphire Sauna: Community, Continuity & How You Can Support Us

Over the past few weeks, some local press coverage around Hastings Pier has understandably caused concern among our community. We would like to take a moment to provide a clear update, reassure our customers, and explain how you can support Samphire Sauna as we proceed through the next stage of the planning process.

Business as usual at Samphire Sauna

First and foremost: Samphire Sauna is open, operating as normal, and continuing to bring warmth to the pier.

Hastings Pier is currently subject to a wider planning application submitted by the pier’s landlords. As part of this, we have provided detailed information about Samphire Sauna to ensure our presence on the pier is properly considered and supported within that application. The council is now inviting public comments as part of their standard planning process.

While we await an outcome, we want to reassure everyone that we are very much here, welcoming guests, running sessions, and continuing to invest care and energy into the space we’ve built together.

More than a sauna, a community by the sea

Since opening, Samphire Sauna has evolved into something far more than just a place to warm up.

For many of you, it’s become a regular ritual: a place to pause, reset, swim, steam, and reconnect with yourself, with others, and with the elements. We see familiar faces week after week, friendships forming in communal sessions, quiet moments shared at sunrise, and laughter drifting across the pier as people warm up after the sea.

That sense of community is at the heart of everything we do. Samphire is locally run, independently operated, and deeply rooted in Hastings and St Leonards. We work with local artists, makers, teachers, and collaborators, and we employ a small, dedicated team who care deeply about this place and the people who come here.

Why your support matters

As part of the planning process, public comments genuinely matter. The council reads and considers every submission, and community feedback plays an important role in how applications are assessed.

If Samphire Sauna has supported your wellbeing, helped you through winter, given you a place to breathe, or simply brought you joy, your words can make a real difference.

How to support Samphire Sauna

How to support us

  1. Visit the council planning portal (reference PP-14536283) publicaccess.hastings.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=makeComment&keyVal=_HSTBC_DCAPR_122779 
  2. Enter your details & tick the SUPPORT button
  3. Leave a short supportive comment about what Samphire Sauna means to you  
  4. Deadline to comment: 4th February

You don’t need to write anything formal, just speak honestly about your experience and why this space matters to you.

Please keep booking (it really helps)

Another important way to support us right now is simple: keep coming and spreading the Sauna joy! 🔥

Continue booking your sauna sessions, bringing friends, swimming, steaming, dipping, and making Samphire part of your routine. Regular bookings help us demonstrate active use, strong demand, and the value the sauna brings to the pier and the wider community.

Winter is one of our busiest and most magical seasons,with crisp air, glowing skies, and that unbeatable contrast of heat and sea. Our full winter timetable is live, and sessions are open to book throughout the week.

If you’re a regular, our saver packages are a great way to commit to your wellbeing while supporting the long-term sustainability of the sauna.

Thank you

The response we’ve received so far has been genuinely moving. From messages of encouragement to thoughtful planning comments and continued bookings, your support has reminded us why this work matters so much.

Whatever the outcome, we are incredibly proud of the community that has grown around Samphire Sauna, and deeply grateful to everyone who has helped build it with us.

We’ll continue to share updates to our social media channels as we have them. In the meantime, we’ll be here on the pier: keeping the fires burning, the steam rising, and the space warm and welcoming.

Thank you for being part of Samphire.

Zoya, Nell & the Samphire Sauna team 🧡🔥