The Hampstead Heath Swimming Forum met virtually earlier this week. The regular meeting, which involves Hampstead Heath management and elected representatives of the swimmers’ associations, would usually have a public gallery. This facility was refused by the City of London for the online meeting and our request for the meeting to be recorded, so that members might view it later, was also refused.
The Chair of the Hampstead Heath Management Committee, Anne Fairweather, and the Heath Superintendent, Bob Warnock attempted to reassure members that improvements would be made to the online booking platform. This had been suspended on 13 July 2020 following a chaotic weekend of website crashes.
It is anticipated that the City of London’s booking platform will re-open on Friday 17 July 2020 at 11a.m. to book swimming slots at the Ladies’ Pond from 18 July 2020 onwards. We were informed it will be possible to make up to three bookings per week for the dates released at that time, and there are expected to be seven swimming sessions per day.
When it re-opens, the booking platform can be accessed via the link on the City of London’s webpage here. Please note that the KLPA does not manage the booking platform and has no special access to it.
At the Forum the following points were also raised:
- The promised Hardship Fund still does not exist.
- An Equalities Impact Assessment for the new procedures still has not been produced despite being a legal requirement.
- There is still no provision for off-line booking which excludes many long term swimmers from being able to book sessions.
- Season tickets will not be reactivated until at least September 2020.
- Hampstead Heath managers have been receiving a huge number of emails from dissatisfied (would-be) swimmers, with 1,300 arriving on 13 July 2020 alone. The swimmers’ associations were asked to discourage their members from sending so many emails. Clearly this is an individual decision for each member to make.
Should you still wish to send emails about your experiences the addresses required are:
Anne.Fairweather@cityoflondon.gov.uk
Bob.Warnock@cityoflondon.gov.uk
HH-Swimming@cityoflondon.gov.uk
The decision to enforce compulsory and increased charges at the ponds long term was taken on 11 March 2020 by a committee of 18 people sitting in the Guildhall many miles from Hampstead Heath. Those Hampstead Heath Management Committee members comprise 12 people “elected” to the City of London Corporation and six co-optees. This is democracy City of London style!