LGBTQ+ charities have praised the decision to allow the Hampstead Heath ponds to remain trans-inclusive.
The Kenwood ladies’ ponds and the Highgate men’s ponds will continue to allow transgender men and women to swim in their waters, following feedback from users.
A public consultation with 38,000 respondents found that 86 per cent favoured keeping the current “trans-inclusive” arrangements.
Alex Matheson, the director of inclusion for the LGBT Foundation said the decision sent a “powerful message” at a time when trans communities “so often face scrutiny and exclusion”.
She added: “Places like Hampstead Heath’s ponds are valued community spaces where people can feel safe, be with friends and experience the joy of being themselves. We hope this decision sets a clear precedent for the future of public spaces across the UK — offering a much‑needed moment of hope to so many people.”
The City of London Corporation (CLC), which manages the ponds, reviewed its policy following the supreme court’s ruling in April 2025 that the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex.
As well as the two gender-segregated ponds, where trans people can swim in whichever makes them feel most comfortable, there is also a mixed-gender pond.
Changes and improvements have also been made to add more private cubicles as part of upgrades to toilet and shower facilities at the ponds.
The chief executive of Not A Phase, Dani. St James, said: “Access to public spaces, leisure facilities and opportunities to connect with nature are important contributors to health, wellbeing and community belonging.
“For trans+ people, being able to participate in these spaces safely and authentically can have a significant positive impact, as we see everyday through our free fitness classes for the trans+ community.
“At a time when trans+ communities are facing increasing scrutiny and exclusion from many areas of public life, it is encouraging to see a decision grounded in inclusion and evidence, whilst highlighting the overwhelming acceptance of trans+ individuals within the Hampstead Heath ponds community.”
The decision means the women’s and men’s ponds would not be considered single-sex spaces under the Equality Act.
The much-awaited guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), published by the government last month, confirmed single-sex services must be on the basis of biological sex.
In March, the gender-critical campaign group Sex Matters won a court of appeal application to continue a legal challenge over the bathing ponds’ access policy, claiming it was discriminating against women.
The City of London Corporation policy chair, Chris Hayward, said the consultation results indicated participants had wished for the ponds to “remain safe, respectful and inclusive”.
He said: “It’s clear how much these bathing ponds mean to the communities who swim here. Many people told us how they value them as calm, safe and welcoming spaces with a strong sense of inclusion and belonging.
“Although our consultation was never a referendum, the message from regular swimmers and the wider community was clear – people want these ponds to remain safe, respectful and inclusive.
“Whilst the supreme court judgment confirmed the legal definition of ‘sex’, it did not decide that all trans-inclusive services must become single-sex services.
“We have continued to listen and take detailed legal advice throughout this process. The approach agreed today protects the character and unique spirit of the ponds while ensuring they remain welcoming to all.”
Fiona McAnena, the director of campaigns at Sex Matters, told The Times: “City of London Corporation members have today voted to unlawfully discriminate against and harass women using the Ladies’ Pond.
“The clue is in the name: female users don’t expect to encounter male people in bikinis or sometimes even naked in the showers at the Ladies’ Pond, but that is what the City of London Corporation has endorsed.
“The whole policy is an unlawful mess and it’s a disgrace that London councillors think that they can ride roughshod over the law and in the process destroy the rights and dignity of women and girls who use the Ladies’ Pond.”
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