Hampstead Heath Bathing Ponds Retain Trans-Inclusive Policy After 86% Public Support in Consultation]

Hampstead Heath Bathing Ponds Retain Trans-Inclusive Policy After 86% Public Support in Consultation]

The bathing ponds at Hampstead Heath in north-west London will continue to operate with trans-inclusive policies following a public consultation in which 86% of 38,000 respondents supported maintaining existing arrangements.

There are gender-segregated ponds for men and women, with transgender individuals able to choose which pond they feel most comfortable using, or opt for the mixed-gender pond. The City of London Corporation, which manages the site, reviewed its policy after the Supreme Court’s April 2025 ruling that the legal definition of woman is based on biological sex.

A committee approved the decision on Thursday following the October consultation. The City of London Corporation confirmed that transgender women will continue to have access to the Kenwood Ladies’ Pond, while the Highgate Men’s Pond remains open to transgender men. The mixed pond is described as “open to everyone.”

The policy comes amid ongoing legal challenges. The campaign group Sex Matters won a court of appeal bid in March to continue challenging the bathing ponds’ access policy, following the Supreme Court’s ruling that transgender women are not legally defined as women.

Fiona McAnena, director of Sex Matters, claimed the City of London Corporation had effectively defied the law. “Many City of London councillors seem to think UK equality law doesn’t apply to the Hampstead ponds,” McAnena said. “Female users don’t expect to encounter people with male anatomy in bikinis or sometimes even naked in the showers at the Ladies’ pond, but that is what the City of London Corporation has endorsed.”

Trans advocates have criticized campaigners as “cruel and judgmental,” noting that transgender people have used the facilities for decades without incident. The City of London Corporation also announced plans to add more private cubicles as part of facility upgrades.

The decision means the women’s and men’s ponds will not be classified as single-sex spaces under the Equality Act. This follows guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission confirming that single-sex services must be based on biological sex.

Chris Hayward, chair of the City of London Corporation’s policy committee, stated that the consultation results showed public support for maintaining the ponds as “safe, respectful and inclusive” spaces. “It’s clear how much these bathing ponds mean to the communities who swim here,” Hayward said. “People value them as calm, safe and welcoming spaces with a strong sense of inclusion and belonging.”

Hayward emphasised that while the Supreme Court ruling clarified the legal definition of sex, it did not mandate that all trans-inclusive services must become single-sex spaces. “We have continued to listen and take detailed legal advice throughout this process,” he said. “The approach agreed today protects the character and unique spirit of the ponds while ensuring they remain welcoming to all.”

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