Month: January 2023

The KLPA is holding its first merchandise sale of 2023 next Sunday from 9 am until 11 am at the Ladies’ Pond.

We have knitted hats and mugs for £10 each, or £35 for a set of four, including mix and match options.  We also have a new delivery of the Wild Swimming Walks book, still at the reduced price of £10, rather than the retail price of £14.99.

Please come along and show your support; we look forward to seeing many KLPA members on Sunday.

Hampstead Heath workers balloted on strike action

On 16 January 2023 Ham & High reported that the trade union GMB is balloting City of London staff, including those employed on Hampstead Heath, about potential strike action following a 3% pay offer.  The result of the ballot is expected in early February.

The full article can be seen here.

The City of London is proposing price increases for activities across the Heath of at least 5% in 2023/2024.  The KLPA has responded to the proposed price increases and we are awaiting the City’s final decision.

This is an update on proposed price increases for 2023/24.  At its last  meeting with the swimming associations in December 2022, the City revealed plans to increase most charges on the Heath, including those for swimming, by 5% in the next financial year (details here).  Whilst this is less than the current inflation rate, it still represents another significant price rise after several years of such increases, including disproportionate increases for concessionary tickets since 2020. 

The KLPA and the other swimming associations were invited to submit their written comments in time for the next meeting of the Hampstead Heath Consultative Committee which takes place at 17.30 hrs on Monday 16 January 2023.  The KLPA response is attached here. A link to the online public gallery for the Consultative Committee meeting on 16 January 2023 is here.

The Consultative Committee’s deliberations will be fed back to the next meeting of the Hampstead Heath, Highgate Woods and Queen’s Park Management Committee on 8 February 2023, at which any decisions about the charges for 2023/24 are expected to be finalised.

Further updates will follow.

THAMES WATER LIVE MAP OF SEWAGE DISCHARGES
CHECK BEFORE YOU SWIM!

Following pressure from the public and campaign groups Thames Water has finally launched a real time interactive map showing discharges of sewage into our rivers. 

Their area stretches from Gloucestershire to Essex, so if you are planning to take a dip in any rivers which might be affected by foul water discharges from storm overflows, please take a look at this map first.   Recent press coverage can be seen here and here.