Author: Vicky Joseph

The Hampstead Heath, Highgate Wood and Queen’s Park Management Committee is meeting virtually on Wednesday 26 May 2021 at 4 pm.  The public gallery can be accessed online here. The full agenda pack with supporting documentation can be downloaded here.

Items of particular interest to KLPA members include:

1. Item 10 (Appendix 8) – Proposed Terms of Reference for The Sports & Wellbeing Advisory Forum here. This was discussed at the Hampstead Heath Consultative Committee on 19 April 2021 (here). They expressed concerns about the size and unclear remit of the new body and it being chaired by the same person who chairs both the Management Committee and Consultative Committee, rather than by a lay member like the current Sports Advisory Forum.  Will the Management Committee consider these issues?
2. Item 11 – Hampstead Heath Bathing Pond and Lido Annual Report 2020-21 here.  This includes reference to free swimming for under 16s and over 60s to remain before 9.30 am and the very limited progress towards a “Support Scheme”, which still appears to be at the talking stage. There is also a brief mention of the letter before action sent by Leigh Day Solicitors on behalf of the KLPA.

With reference to the final point, the KLPA has recently launched a crowdfunding page with Crowd Justice and needs in the first instance to raise £5000 before the fundraising can go further. This is to launch a Judicial Review against the charging regime at the bathing ponds, based on indirect disability discrimination.  Thank you to all the generous people who have donated so far.  If you have not yet done so and you are able to make a donation, please do so by by clicking the donate button below:

If you have already donated, you can still help by spreading the word, via email, social media and, of course, word of mouth.  Please help us to get to our initial target of £5000.  The link to share is https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/fighting-discriminatory-charges-to-swim/

Following the partial lifting of Coronavirus restrictions from 17 May 2021, and continuing pressure from the KLPA, the City of London is making some changes to swimming arrangements.  There is still a long way to go but this is the most recent news:

• From 18 May 2021 the capped free flow hours (no need to book online) will be expanded to 7.00 am – 10.30 am (last entry 10 am) and 5.00 pm – 8.30 pm (last entry 8 pm).
• Booking through Eventbrite will still be necessary for swimming between 11 am and 4.30 pm based on the following time slots (with closure periods for cleaning) – 11 am to midday, 12.30 pm – 1.30pm, 2 pm – 3pm, 3.30 pm – 4.30 pm.
• The maximum number of swimmers who can be at the Ladies’ Pond at any one time is due to be increased and we are awaiting details.
• Women and girls who are non-swimmers can continue to access the upper meadow without paying, subject to the maximum capacity numbers at the Ladies’ Pond.
• The City of London may re-open the changing rooms from 21 June 2021, if public health restrictions continue to be lifted on schedule.

The following issues remain to be resolved:

1. There are currently no plans to make additional showers available and we believe that just one outdoor shower during the summer months is entirely inadequate.
2. The City still plans to employ stewards at the gates even when Coronavirus restrictions have, hopefully, been lifted from 21 June 2021.  This is intrusive and not consistent with the decision on charging taken at the Management Committee on 11 March 2020.
3. We believe that, on quieter days, it should be possible to turn up and swim between 11am and 5pm with payment accepted at the gate by cash or card, rather than having to book via Eventbrite.
4. We are awaiting an update on access for swimmers under 16 at the bathing ponds and we look forward to welcoming girls and teenagers back to the Ladies’ Pond. 
5. We are asking for the large black lockers placed on the path near the changing rooms to be removed as they appear to serve no useful purpose, but reduce available space.
6. Various temporary signs at the gates tell swimmers what they must or must not do. Following the lifting of remaining public health restrictions we believe this area should see fewer and more welcoming signs.

If you feel strongly about any of these issues please email the City of London via the following email addresses:

Anne.Fairweather@cityoflondon.gov.uk
Bob.Warnock@cityoflondon.gov.uk
HH-swimming@cityoflondon.gov.uk

Please copy to klpamailbox@gmail.com

Press coverage of our legal challenge to the City of London’s charging regime can be read here:

Ham & High 6 May 2021
Camden New Journal 7 May 2021
Evening Standard 7 May 2021

The campaign also featured in ITV and BBC London News on 6 May.

In addition a swimmer’s letter to Camden New Journal on 6 May 2021 highlighted ongoing problems with the City of London’s online booking system for the Ponds. Further correspondence in the Ham & High letters page of 6 May 2021 highlights the lack of democratic control over Hampstead Heath.

The KLPA, working with Kate Egerton at Leigh Day solicitors, has sent a letter before action to the City of London, challenging the discriminatory effects of the enforced and increased swimming charges. This is the first stage of a process which may lead to a judicial review of the current charging regime.

KLPA member Ann Griffin, who is registered blind, is a party to this action. The KLPA alleges indirect disability discrimination due to the disproportionate impact of the new charging regime on people with disabilities.  It is also alleged that the new charges interfere with swimmers’ human rights given the history of the bathing ponds and their health benefits.

In the letter before action we have asked for:

• Day tickets to revert to £2 (full price) and £1 (concession)
• Free access for swimmers on benefits and low income
• Free swimming for those under 16 and over 60 at any time of day

Early press coverage of this action can be seen here in Ham and High. It was also reported this morning on BBC London News, initially at 6.27 am. This was followed by a longer item on ITV London News, at 6.15 pm, in which KLPA Committee member Ann Griffin was interviewed. The Leigh Day press release of 5 May 2021 can be seen here.

The City of London has responded to the letter before action, denying any illegality.  Following further consultation with our solicitors at Leigh Day, we will keep members updated.

We have just been informed that online booking to swim at the Bathing Ponds and Lido will resume from 1 May 2021, with the exception of the earliest and latest sessions each day:

• 07.00 – 10.00 free flow (last entry 09.30)  
• 10.30 – 11.30 pre book 
• 12.00 – 13.00 pre book 
• 13.30 – 14.30 pre book 
• 15.00 – 16.00 pre book 
• 16.30 – 17.30 pre book 
• 18.00 – 20.30 free flow (last entry 20.00)

The booking link for the City of London/Eventbrite is here. Tickets will be released on Eventbrite on Monday at 12 noon for the week ahead, except for the first three days (1 to 3 May 2021) which will be released on Friday 30 April at 12 noon. 

A telephone booking line is available for swimmers who have no internet access or who find this system difficult to use at 020 7332 3779 (Monday to Friday).  Please forward this information to any swimmer you know who may prefer to book by phone.

Covid-secure measures will remain in place for the time being, with a maximum capacity of 60 swimmers at the Ladies’ Pond, and the requirement to provide contact details when you arrive for test and trace purposes.

We had hoped there would be greater use of “capped free flow” (no need to book) through the summer months, to preserve greater spontaneity for swimmers.  If you feel strongly about this and would like to give feedback to the City of London, please do so via the email addresses below.  Some thoughts which you may wish to refer to are attached here, but please personalise your response if possible:

Anne.Fairweather@cityoflondon.gov.uk
Bob.Warnock@cityoflondon.gov.uk
HH-swimming@cityoflondon.gov.uk

Please copy to klpamailbox@gmail.com

The next meeting of the Hampstead Heath Consultative Committee takes place on Monday 19 April 2021 at 5.30 pm. This meeting can be viewed on line here.

The full agenda pack can be downloaded here. Items of particular interest are:

• Item 5 and items 7c to 7d – minutes of the Sports Advisory Forum and feedback on the proposed Terms of Reference for a new Sports & Wellbeing Advisory Forum with which to replace this forum.  
• The Hampstead Heath Consultative Committee agenda pack omits detailed feedback on the above item provided by the KLPA on 22 March 2020 which can be seen here.
• Items 7f and 7g cover The City of London Corporation’s review of the 2020/21 swimming season and feedback from the swimming associations including the KLPA.
• The KLPA response has been partly redacted in the published committee papers in respect the costs of the first disastrous online booking platform used last year. For the record it cost £4,134 and was scrapped after a few days; that money would have paid for over 1,700 concessionary swims at £2.40 last summer.

The next meeting of the Hampstead Heath, Highgate Woods and Queen’s Park Management Committee will be on Wednesday 26 May 2021 at 4 pm and in due course details will be available here.

Recent press coverage concerning the re-opening of the ponds and restrictive access can be seen here in the 1 April 2021 edition of the Camden New Journal. 

The 15 April 2021 letters page of Ham & High includes further correspondence challenging the figures used by the City of London in March 2020 to justify inflated and enforced swimming charges.

On 3 April 2021 we sent out an email detailing how the Annual General Meeting would be conducted this year due to the continuing Coronavirus restrictions.  An Annual Report which was circulated is attached again here. Members are reminded of the following deadlines:

• If you have any questions about the contents of the reports, please email klpamailbox@gmail.com with your questions by 5pm on 17 April 2021. A collective response to any questions received will follow in our second mailout to members by 23 April 2021.
• If you wish to stand for the KLPA Committee please return a completed nomination form (signed by two current KLPA members nominating you) by5 pm on 17 April 2021 to klpamailbox@gmail.com.  If you cannot access a printer or scanner, then a chain of emails from the two current KLPA members nominating you will also suffice, forwarded to klpamailbox@gmail.com.
• Please remember to renew your KLPA membership by 30 April 2021. Subscription rates and details of how to do this are on the membership form at page 12 of the report, which should be sent to klpamailbox@gmail.com. Please let us know if paying your subscription is going to present difficulties for you at present by emailing klpamailbox@gmail.com.

Once questions and nominations have been received, there will be a further mailout, by 23 April 2021, responding to those questions and including an e-ballot for members to vote on the following:

• Minutes of the 2020 AGM
• Approval of the 2021 Chair’s Report
• Approval of 2020/21 Accounts
• Any contested positions on the KLPA Committee

Election Results will be declared by 3 May 2021.

On Saturday 17 April 2021, between 10 a.m. and midday, KLPA mugs designed by Sue Hellard, will be on sale at the Ladies’ Pond in the bike park. These are £8 each or two for £15. The KLPA book Wild Swimming Walks will also be on sale for £10. Please bring cash (exact money) or a cheque (payable to KLPA).

KLPA members are also reminded that there is free access to the upper meadow for non-swimming women and girls, which the KLPA has negotiated with the City of London.  This is subject to the overall limits on the numbers of people permitted at the Ladies’ Pond under the Covid-secure measures.

Here are the arrangements for Spring and Summer access 2021:

“Capped Free Flow” access will be in place until 30 April 2021, which means that you will not have to make an advanced booking online in this time.  If the pond becomes full to the current capacity of 60 people, there will be a one-in-one-out procedure in place. 

Opening times at the Ladies’ Pond will be as follows:

DATE	OPENING TIME	LAST ENTRY	EXIT WATER	EXIT FACILITY
29 March -11 April	7am	4pm	4.15pm	4.30pm
12 – 30 April	7am	6pm	6.15pm	6.30pm

From 1 May 2021 there will be a mixture of “Capped Free Flow” and advanced booking.  We are waiting for more details of the online booking platform to be used, which is expected to be Eventbrite.  We hope to see the telephone booking line reinstated for those who do not have internet access or find the online booking system difficult to use (last year the number was 020 7332 3779).

CHARGES
The new prices for day tickets and season tickets will apply from 1 April 2021.  There will be free access for those with 60+ season ticket wristbands until 9.30 am but for now those under 16 are not permitted access at all to the bathing ponds.

Day tickets will go up to £4.05 (or £2.43 concession).  Cash payment is still being accepted but no change given, so this is not being made easy for those without access to contactless payment, or who prefer not to use it.

Existing season tickets have been extended by 83 days to reflect the lockdown period.  If you intend to buy a new season ticket (or renewal is still due on your old season ticket) the old prices will apply until 31 March 2021, so you might wish to take advantage of that window before the price increases apply.  This is especially relevant for holders of ponds-only concession season tickets who face inflation busting price rises on 1 April 2021.

CITY OF LONDON REVIEW 2020/2021
The City of London has published a review of the 2020/2021 swimming season including its implementation of enforced charging to access the bathing ponds. The document can be seen here and also has a brief reference to this year’s arrangements. If you wish to comment directly on this review please send your comments by 31 March 2021 to:

Anne.Fairweather@cityoflondon.gov.uk
Bob.Warnock@cityoflondon.gov.uk
HH-swimming@cityoflondon.gov.uk

Please copy your response to klpamailbox@gmail.com

For those who can afford to swim, and can navigate the booking system likely to be in place from 1 May 2021, we hope you enjoy your swims.  For those who are now excluded, we will continue to campaign on your behalf as the Heath belongs to all Londoners.

On 29 March 2021 the Hampstead Heath bathing ponds and Parliament Hill Lido are due to re-open under Covid-secure arrangements.

Whilst we have no issue with keeping staff and swimmers safe through safe-distancing measures and limited numbers, there is a significant disparity. We cannot see how this can be explained through logic and the City of London Corporation has failed to provide a rationale when asked.

This concerns “Capped Free Flow” entry. At the ponds and at the Lido, the earliest session each day will not require pre-booking. Later sessions, which are also time limited, will require online pre-booking (phone line arrangements have yet to be confirmed). At the bathing ponds, capped free flow will only be available until 10 am from 29 March to 20 September 2021. However, at the Lido this will be available until 1pm up to 30 April 2021 – a month later – before reverting to 10am from 1 May 2021. Overall there will be a disparity of 297 hours of capped free flow access between the bathing ponds and the Lido (3 hours x 3 ponds x 33 days).

Further details of these arrangements can be found here. Details of the new charges can be seen at pages 7-8 here, and will apply from re-opening on 29 March 2021.

If you are concerned about the differences in access arrangements for the Lido and bathing ponds, you can contact the City of London Corporation using the email addresses below. You may wish to ask for parity between the bathing ponds and the Lido for capped free flow hours, and for this to be put in place in time for re-opening on 29 March 2021. If the proposed differences in access arrangements will have a specific impact on you, please include this too:

Anne.Fairweather@cityoflondon.gov.uk
Bob.Warnock@cityoflondon.gov.uk
HH-Swimming@cityoflondon.gov.uk

Please copy your email to klpamailbox@gmail.com