At the end of August, the municipality of Malå produced a national survey to investigate the interest in a bathhouse in Malå. Of the 650 people who answered the questionnaire, 615 wanted to see a bath house in the resort.

But despite the wide interest, the municipality cannot promise that it will return.

- My goal is to be able to make some kind of strategy decision during this mandate regarding how and if we should proceed because this will require quite a lot of work, says Gustavsson.

Collaborates with Norsjö and Arvidsjaur

The municipality will now investigate whether it is possible to either renovate the existing bath house, build a new one, or if the project must be abandoned completely. What it may cost, the municipal council cannot respond to at present, but he expects up to SEK 100 million.

- Many smaller municipalities are in the same dilemma. Our neighboring municipalities, Arvidsjaur and Norsjö, have the same challenges, so we try to collaborate, collaborate and learn from each other, says Gustavsson.

In February next year, the municipality plans to invite a citizen dialogue. But no final decision will be made until March 2021.