Camden (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Camden authorities say a decision on future access for trans swimmers at Hampstead Heath’s ponds is expected early next year, following months of debate.
A final report on the matter is anticipated to be presented to Camden council in January, according to a representative of the City of London Corporation, which oversees the Heath. Due to the large number of replies to a public consultation and the possibility of legal action complicating matters, it is acknowledged that a timetable for a final decision has not yet been set.
In response to the Supreme Court’s decision before this time, a representative for the Corporation stated that they’re examining their access regulations to make sure they continue to be
” fair, legal, and regardful.”
The Heath features three ponds: a mixed area, the Kenwood Ladies’ Pond, and the Highgate Men’s Pond. Transgender males and women are currently allowed to use the pond of their choice under the Corporation’s policies.
However, this stance has come under more criticism since the Supreme Court ruled in April that “sex” under the Equality Act 2010 refers to biological sex. Critics contend that this definition violates the law.
Six possible approaches to managing the ponds are put forth in a consultation that the Corporation started in October and will run until November 25. These include maintaining the status quo at the men’s and women’s ponds, managing them as “strictly single-sex facilities,” or using them as trans-inclusive areas aside from the shared restrooms and changing areas.
At a meeting of the Hampstead Heath Consultative Committee this week, Corporation Officer Andrew Impey stated that the consultation has received thousands of replies, and many more are anticipated before it ends.
Mr. Impey stated that he had always been certain that it would have been “highly unlikely” to fulfill a December deadline after Common Councillor William Upton KC pressed him about the apparent delays to the final report.
The consultation is “not a referendum,” according to Mr. Impey, who also stated that it is “a portion of that overall decision.” It’s not the final decision.
The legal actions taken by the advocacy group Sex Matters, which had requested a judicial review of the Corporation’s admissions policy based on gender self-recognition, were also updated.
He added that
“it would be foolish and dangerous of me to commit to [a Committee meeting on] January 15 not knowing how long it’s going to take to do that analysis, equally knowing we have to see the results of the six focus groups and how they relate to the data, the quantified data as well as the qualified data”.
Based on the Supreme Court’s decision, the organization further contended that most of the consultation choices are illegal. Sex Matters’ legal action has left the City of London Corporation “disappointed.”
The Ladies’ Pond has been
“a male-free haven for women and girls for almost a century, but this policy has robbed women of their privacy and peace of mind,”
according to Fiona McAnena, Director of Campaigns at Sex Matters, who previously spoke to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).
Alderman Jones told the Committee that a date of December 17 has been set for a hail, during which the judge is to both decide whether to allow the judicial review to do and examine written representations. He stated that it isn’t anticipated that the matter will be decided that day.
A spokesperson for the Corporation said:
“We recognise the sensitivity of this issue and the complexities surrounding access to Hampstead Heath’s swimming ponds. Like many organisations, we are reviewing our access rules to ensure they remain fair, lawful, and respectful in light of the recent Supreme Court ruling and evolving Equality and Human Rights Commission guidance.
We have launched a public consultation with pond users and stakeholders, open until 25 November, to help shape this review and ensure all voices are heard. The consultation findings will inform future policy, alongside our legal duties, equality impacts, safeguarding responsibilities, and practical enforcement considerations.”
According to a spokeswoman who previously spoke with the LDRS, the approximately 900-member Kenwood Ladies’ Pond Association (KLPA) voted in 2024 to maintain its “trans-inclusive membership policy for the association.”
What are the six consultation options proposed by the City of London Corporation?
Continuing to allow all trans women to use the Ladies’ Pond without restrictions, emphasizing equivalency andnon-discrimination. Allocating specific times or days when trans women can swim in the pond, to minimize conflicts or enterprises among other druggies.
Creating devoted installations or ponds simply for trans women to pierce, although this is more contentious and less likely given current programs. Limiting access grounded on natural coitus registered at birth, confining trans women from swimming in the Ladies’ Pond.
The options range from maintaining current inclusive access, introducing designated times for single- sex use, creating separate installations for ambisexual druggies, to rigorously administering natural sex based pond access. The discussion, open until late November 2025, will inform the City’s unborn policy.