The Hampstead Heath Consultative Committee meets next on Monday 24 January 2022. This meeting starts at 5.30 pm and can be viewed online here. The full agenda and supporting papers for the meeting can be seen here (14MB). At page 111 there are details of the proposed charges for swimming in the 2022/23 season which are based on a 4.9% increase to prices. At pages 91-93 the proposed swimming arrangements for the summer season are set out including a return of the online booking system to restrict access between midday and 4.45 pm each day.
Meetings of the Hampstead Heath Consultative Committee are usually held shortly before the next meeting of the Hampstead Heath, Highgate Woods and Queen’s Park Management Committee, giving us some idea of what decisions will be put to the Management Committee affecting the running of the bathing ponds and Heath generally. However the Covid delayed local elections are being held for the City of London Corporation on 24 March 2022 so there is a longer gap this time. We expect the next management committee meeting to be held on 4 May 2022 (details here). It is not therefore clear how the decisions on charging and the summer 2022 swimming arrangements will be mandated in time for 1 April 2022.
At the last meeting of the Sports and Wellbeing Advisory Forum on 11 January 2022, the KLPA and Highgate Men’s Pond Association (HMPA) asked for the age-related free swimming times to be extended, as these currently clash with the provision of free travel for swimmers over the age of 60. The current arrangement does not give swimmers under 16 or over 60 a real choice about when to swim, affordably. This request was refused, pending the outcome of the forthcoming Judicial Review, despite age-related concessions having no logical link to the legal case based on a claim of disability discrimination. Anne Fairweather, who was chairing the meeting expressed the view it would have been better to have discussions rather than revert to legal action, but the swimmers’ associations, including the KLPA, have offered to work with the City repeatedly since 2020 to address income generation without exclusion, but to no avail. Hence the Judicial Review which is taking place on 23-24 February 2022. Both the KLPA and HMPA also objected at the Forum to the return of online booking now that most Covid-related restrictions have been lifted.
During the last 6 months there have been significant changes of personnel affecting the Heath, both “elected” members of the City of London Corporation and senior managers connected with the running of the Heath. These changes are also continuing:
- August 2021 – Retirement of Heath Superintendent Bob Warnock, who recommended and oversaw the new charging regime at the Hampstead Heath bathing ponds from 2020.
- August 2021 – January 2022 – Acting Heath Superintendent in place, Richard Gentry, who has now returned to his substantive post.
- October 2021 – Retirement of Director of Open Spaces Colin Buttery(manager of Superintendent).
- November 2021 – Former Chair of Management Committee, Karina Dostalova, who oversaw charging decisions in March 2020, stood down entirely from City of London Corporation.
- January 2022 – New Heath Superintendent in post, Stefania Horne.
- January 2022 – Departure of Business Manager Open Spaces Department, Yvette Hughes.
- March 2022 – Current Chair of Management Committee, Anne Fairweather, who continued the implementation of the new swimming charging regime, to stand down entirely from City of London Corporation.
Management of the Heath and the bathing ponds in particular appears to be going through a period of instability, which the KLPA and other swimmers’ associations will continue to monitor and attempt to hold to account.