On 18 January 2021, representatives of the swimmers’ associations attended an online Swimming Forum meeting with the City of London. This was convened at short notice without a live public gallery (a link to a recording is supposed to follow). At the meeting the City attempted to side-line any detailed discussion of the proposed 2021 price rises, which are due to be put to the Hampstead Heath Consultative Committee on 25 January 2021, by taking this subject as “Any Other Business”.
The Forum did see draft proposals to re-open the ponds from 29 March 2021, if an easing of the lockdown permits. The City intends to re-introduce time limited sessions and to use online pre-booking for most of these sessions. They will exclude 8- to 15-year-olds from the ponds again. This time it will be possible to use season tickets for online bookings, so that begs the question why it was not possible last year. The City has yet to select an online booking platform for 2021. Details of the re-opening proposals can be seem here.
Forum members still attempted to hold a robust discussion of the proposed price increases for 2021/22, within the limits of the tightly controlled agenda. These proposals will go to the Hampstead Heath Consultative Committee. Details can be seen here and here. Points to note include:
- The higher RPI inflation rate is being applied to swimming charges.
- The under-16s free access before 9.30 am is irrelevant to the ponds as they will be banned until late September.
- Season tickets will still be based on intrusive wristband technology, with personal data being passed to an external marketing company.
- The unrounded session-ticket prices are based on the assumption that most swimmers will use contactless card payments (£4.05 and £2.43). This is a further example of financial exclusion at the ponds, by making cash payment more difficult.
- No meaningful support scheme is in place and the existing concession arrangements still demonstrate ignorance of the lives of low income Londoners (many benefits excluded and no support is there for those who fall outside the benefits system).
The Hampstead Heath Consultative Committee meeting can be viewed live here on Monday 25 January 2021 at 5.30 pm.
KLPA members have recently responded to a survey on the impact of the 2020 charges and we will shortly be reporting back on the details of those findings. The coming year is set to be a further stage in exclusion at the bathing ponds.