Consultation on future access to the Hampstead Heath Bathing Ponds - Closes 25 November 2025

[IwantToRetire]

The City of London Corporation has launched a public consultation to help inform future access arrangements at Hampstead Heath’s Bathing Ponds.

The consultation invites feedback from pond users, the local community, and stakeholders on how the Kenwood Ladies’, and Highgate Men’s ponds should operate in the future.

The consultation is open until 12:00 on Tuesday 25 November 2025.

https://hampstead-heath-bathing-ponds.commonplace.is/

Opened today and I found out via an Irish newspaper!

I know there is an existing thread about legal challenge but thought it good to have the news of the consultation being open as a thread title.

I have checked the guidelines on the website and it says that some consultations will be private but even if they are not there will be no identifying information published with it unless it is a planning application so hopefully it should be ok. As a precaution I have emailed support asking them to make my comments private.

Completed! I don’t care if they publish my responses (although I’m not sure I was as eloquent as @MissScarletInTheBallroom - though we had the same answers to the questions 😉!)

I’d love to use the ladies pond if it was a female only space.

I’ve filled it in.
So many EDI questions but at least it asked about your sex, not just gender.

I've got spices in my cupboard older than that.

And you're prepared to admit that on MN? Brave woman! 😀

About 12 EDI questions. Every one of them has the option "prefer not to say" except, strangely, the question about sexual orientation. I wonder why you're not allowed to prefer not to declare your sexual orientation?
And although you can "prefer not to say" your gender, "none" is not an option.

Thank you for posting that link - I thoroughly enjoyed filling that in with blunt answers about trans women not being men and therefore not being allowed in the women's spaces etc.

I particularly enjoyed the end bit when it asked who you were replying as and I was able to tick other and when it asked me for my organisation I put City of London - and role - Liveryman and Citizen of the City of London 😁

It doesn't harm for the staff to remember that there is a wide umbrella of people involved in the running of the City - as Livery we elect the Sheriffs and Lord Mayor.

How does one go about initiating a judicial review to force compliance? Does any one know?

Wouldn't it have to be someone bringing an equality act claim?

I also added in the comments that they will not be able to know about the many women who self exclude because of the trans inclusion policy

Has this been posted - haven't had time to read this thread today.

Councillors have doubled down on their insistence that men who identify as women are welcome at the Ladies’ Pond in Hampstead
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/2afedf66640d7aa8

I've filled it in.

They asked me about my experience at the men's pond. I said I had no experience as it was for men and I'm not one.

As the EHRC have stated in their guidance this would potentially be discriminatory. Sex matters or someone else would definitely challenge this in court.

Are COL looking to change the charter? Creating 3 mixed sex ponds which they can rebrand as trans inclusive - as a way around the law?

Using this & previous ‘consultations’ as proof of the need to modernise.

They won't dare to repeat that farce — though the handmaidens of the Kenwood Ladies Pond Association have emailed members to say there will be 'safeguards' to ensure the consultation isn't 'flooded' with orchestrated/multiple responses.
It's definitely worth responding as it's possible the City of London Corporation is looking for cover to placate the activists when they are forced to restore single-sex ponds

I filled it in, such a frustrating survey. Numerous questions asking basically the same thing and getting the same answer! They shouldn’t be bloody consulting on whether they follow the law anyway, as if it’s optional.

I have filled it in.

Yes, I just basically gave the same answers over and over. (namely, the fact that anything called 'women's' or 'ladies' must by law be single-sex; the reasons why women need single-sex spaces; the fact that many women will be self-excluding for cultural/religious reasons and reasons of traumatic past experiences, not to mention just not wanting to swim or change with men); the logistical nightmare that would ensue if they implemented the suggestion of having single-sex changing rooms and toilets but mixed/'trans-inclusive' ponds; how the 'hybrid' approach of being for certain people at certain specified times would also be a logistical nightmare, plus exclude people for whom the times didn't work... and on and on.

We'll see what happens.

Yes, and amazing that they offer five different options for configuration of the ponds, and only one of these options would provide a single sex space.

I've replied too.
I particularly enjoyed pointing out that making all 3 ponds mixed sex was rather cutting off their noses to spite their faces - if pesky women are making a fuss about having single sex spaces then fine, all the spaces can be mixed sex.
And then they would need to change the names of the ponds.

I’ve submitted mine.
The CoL corporation is also mad keen on replacing long banks of single sex loos with gender neutral ones, in their up and coming revamp at the Barbican Centre. Most attendees at the Hall seem to be in their sixties and up, this is not going to go down well with their customers, but who cares about them! A bit like the lady swimmers. There was a questionnaire, you will not be surprised to hear that it did not ask whether people wanted single sex or gender neutral loos. I wonder if the court case on the ponds will focus a few minds at the CoL..?

I pointed that out in my answer and also said I am not sure what some of what they refer to as genders are and can they provide clarity as there is no objective understanding of some of the choices.

I have no gender as it’s a construct. I pointed that out.

It’s skewed so badly and they haven’t been neutral in the way the data is requested.

I laughed at the worst outcome will be all the ponds are mixed…. They already are mate! You have what you say you don’t want. Illogical idiots.

Done.

I said single sex and the mixed sex pool as they used to be or make all 3 mixed if they won’t segregate by sex. This really is silly as they have a mixed sex pool which is the only one I’ve swum in as I was with my son. The transactivists just want to ruin the ponds for everyone.

The transactivists just want to ruin the ponds for everyone.

Well yes they do, and that's the story so often, isn't it? If we can't have exactly what we want, we'll fuck it up for everyone. And too many foolish men, and their handmaidens, let them get away with it.

Yep.