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.
