MEDIA RELEASE – ISSUED ON BEHALF OF THE HMPA, KLPA & MPA
13 March 2020 – for immediate release
Pond swimmers say the City of London’s suggestion that the future sustainability of the Hampstead Heath bathing ponds is secure following their detailed review and close engagement with swimmers is a travesty. They suggest that Hampstead Heath, which is run as a charity, is failing in its mission to be physically and financially accessible by pricing people out of swimming in an attempt to monetize the popularity of ‘wild’ swimming.
Since January the swimming associations and user groups on Hampstead Heath have engaged with the City of London in consultation over the management of the swimming ponds. The process was supposedly initiated in response to Health & Safety Executive advice following the death of a swimmer in 2019, but swimmers’ representatives have grown increasingly uncomfortable about the City’s true agenda. The consultation culminated yesterday (11 March) with the Hampstead Heath Management Committee deciding to enforce a compulsory payment regime with charges for day tickets doubling to £4.00 and concessions increasing by 140% to £2.40, in spite of recommendations from the Hampstead Heath Consultative Committee earlier in the week that payment should be encouraged rather than compelled for a trial period with charges fixed until 2021.
Nicky Mayhew, Co-chair of the Kenwood Ladies’ Pond Association explains, ‘We all support our lifeguards, their welfare and the safety of swimmers are our highest priority. However, it is now clear that the City has weaponised HSE advice as a means of bringing swimmers in line by enforcing the payment of dramatically higher charges. The way they are proposing to do this will destroy the unique atmosphere of the ponds and exclude many people who depend on swimming there for their physical and mental health.’
Chris Piesold, chair of the Highgate Men’s Pond Association explains, ‘enforced charging will test the City’s commitment to inclusion, for twenty-five years they have failed to make the Men’s Pond compliant with disability legislation and doubling the charges will broaden exclusion in a brutal way.’ He points out that enforcing payment will be expensive in terms of staffing, new technology and the loss of goodwill between swimmers and Heath staff, ‘the City has repeatedly ignored our pleas for clear signage and easy payment methods while repeatedly cutting spending on the Heath and the ponds in real terms. Now they see the growth in ‘wild’ swimming and visitor numbers as an opportunity to turn the ponds into a money-making machine. They say they are committed to subsidising swimming, yet one of our members, an expert in computer modelling, calculates that the new charges are likely to generate a profit of more than £700,000.’
Chair of the Mixed Pond Association, Mike Sands added ‘We surveyed user group members as part of the consultation and found that while 75% of them are willing to pay the current charges, nearly 70% said increased charges would limit their ability to swim. We asked the City to work with us cooperatively on managing change, but they seem determined to be heavy-handed. Aside from the impact on our members, we are concerned that on a hot day people put off using the bathing ponds by the cost of a £4 dip will take their chances in the non-lifeguarded ponds at considerable risk to their personal health and safety.’
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
The City of London took over ownership and management of Hampstead Heath and its swimming ponds in 1989 and introduced charges in 2005. Prior to that, swimming on the Heath – like roaming – had been free to all. Since then charges have been paid on a ‘self-policed’ basis.
For more information email klpamailbox@gmail.com or call Nicky Mayhew on 07773 327392.
