- Consultation to run from 30 September to 25 November 2025
- City Corporation seeks views on future access arrangements for the Ladies’, Men’s and Mixed Ponds
- Responses will help inform decisions by Members of the City Corporation’s committees
The Corporation has launched a public consultation to help inform future access arrangements at Hampstead Heath’s Bathing Ponds.
The consultation, which will run until 25 November, invites feedback from pond users, the local community, and stakeholders on how the Kenwood Ladies’, Highgate Men’s, and Hampstead Mixed ponds should operate in the future.
People can have their say at www.hampstead-heath-bathing-ponds.commonplace.is.
Currently, the Men’s Pond admits biological men and trans men, and the Ladies’ Pond admits biological women and trans women, with the protected characteristics of gender reassignment under the Equality Act 2010.
These arrangements have been in place for many years, consistent with the City Corporation’s Gender Identity Policy – adopted in 2019 following a public consultation – and previous versions of the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s (EHRC) Statutory Code of Practice.
Both the City Corporation’s Gender Identity Policy and past EHRC guidance have since been withdrawn following the UK Supreme Court judgement in For Women Scotland (April 2025) on the meaning of “sex” in the Equality Act 2010.
Like many organisations, the City Corporation – which manages Hampstead Heath as a registered charity – is now reviewing its access rules to ensure they remain fair, lawful and respectful, in light of the recent Supreme Court ruling and evolving EHRC guidance.
The consultation will support that review and ask for views on whether the Ladies’ Pond and the Men’s Pond should continue to operate as trans-inclusive or exclusively single-sex spaces, or as mixed-sex spaces. The City Corporation is also asking for feedback on whether communal toilets and changing rooms should be trans-inclusive, and whether there should be specific times reserved for biological single-sex use. [Please see notes to editors for the full list of options being put forward for consideration].
The findings will not determine the future policy on their own but will help inform decisions made by Members of the City Corporation’s committees, alongside several other key factors, including legal duties, equality impacts, safeguarding, and practical enforcement considerations.
The current admission rules will remain in place until the consultation concludes and decisions regarding future access have been finalised by the relevant City Corporation committees.
The City Corporation will make the findings of the consultation publicly available once final and clearly communicate any decisions made.
Corporation Policy Chairman, Chris Hayward, said:
“Hampstead Heath is one of London’s most cherished open spaces, and the bathing ponds are an integral part of the Heath.
“We want to hear directly from users and other stakeholders about how they value these unique facilities and how they believe they should operate in the future, and I encourage everyone with an interest to take part in the consultation.
“We recognise the sensitivity surrounding this issue. Our consultation will help ensure that everyone’s voice is heard, and that decisions are made in a fair, respectful, and transparent way, in line with the law.
“While the consultation will be an important source of insight, it is not the only factor. The views we receive will sit alongside our wider responsibilities – including meeting legal requirements, assessing equality impacts, ensuring safeguarding, and considering how any decisions could be implemented in practice.”
Hampstead Heath is a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation and forms part of the 11,000 acres of open space owned and protected by the City Corporation across London and southeast England.
It attracts around 8.1 million visits every year and has won a Green Flag Award every year since 1997.
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
ABOUT THE CITY OF LONDON CORPORATION:
- That they should be strictly single-sex facilities – Under this option the Highgate Men’s Pond would only be accessible to biological men and the Kenwood Ladies’ Pond would only be accessible to biological women.
- That they should continue to be trans-inclusive spaces as currently operated – Under this option the Highgate Men’s Pond would be accessible to all biological men and trans men and the Kenwood Ladies’ Pond would be accessible to all biological women and trans women as at present.
- That they should be trans-inclusive spaces based on how people have decided to live their lives – Under this option the Highgate Men’s Pond would only be accessible to people who have decided to live their lives as men (including trans men but excluding trans women) and the Kenwood Ladies’ Pond would only be accessible to people who have decided to live their lives as women (including trans women but excluding trans men).
- That they should be trans-inclusive spaces but that the communal toilets and changing rooms should not – Under this option trans men would have access to the Highgate Men’s Pond and trans women would have access to the Kenwood Ladies’ Pond and Meadow, but would be required to use the separate accessible toilet, shower and changing room at each facility.
- A hybrid approach where they are trans-inclusive spaces at stated times but are operated as strictly single-sex facilities at other times – Under this option, the Highgate Men’s Pond and the Kenwood Ladies’ Pond would continue to be trans-inclusive spaces at certain specified times, but there would be other advertised sessions/times when these facilities would be operated as strictly single-sex spaces.
- That they should be mixed-sex spaces – Under this option both the Highgate Men’s Pond and the Kenwood Ladies’ Pond would be accessible to everyone regardless of sex or gender. The Corporation does not currently favour this option, as it is believed that it would be unpopular with most users, due to the unique nature and historic significance of these Bathing Ponds. However, it has been included as an option for completeness and to evaluate support for it. This will be considered alongside other options.
- We continue to take specialist legal advice to ensure our approach remains lawful, and respectful of everyone.
- The consultation is being conducted precisely to ensure we meet our duties under the Equality Act 2010 and balance the needs and interests of our service users in accordance with the law.
- The consultation is being conducted by the City Corporation supported by an independent and impartial consultancy with 18 years’ experience examining complex public policy matters. They have conducted over 250 public consultations, evaluations and needs assessments, ensuring public bodies have the insights they need to improve services. Their clients include the UK Government, NHS England, London Fire Brigade, and several local authorities. The consultation is also being supported by a social enterprise dedicated to raising the standard of consultation and engagement across the UK and internationally.
- All responses to the consultation will be anonymised and analysed by an independently appointed consultation supplier.
';
