Hampstead Heath Ponds to Stay Trans-Inclusive After Public Backs Existing Rules

The popular bathing ponds at Hampstead Heath in London will maintain their trans-inclusive policies after a public consultation overwhelmingly supported the existing rules. The City of London Corporation (CLC), which manages the site, confirmed that transgender women will continue to have access to the Kenwood Ladies' pond, and transgender men to the Highgate Men's pond.

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Many City of London councillors seem to think UK equality law doesn’t apply to the Hampstead ponds.

The review of the policy was prompted by a UK Supreme Court ruling in April 2025 concerning the legal definition of a woman based on biological sex. However, the CLC's public consultation, launched in October, saw 86% of the 38,000 respondents favor retaining the current arrangements. This outcome led the corporation's committee to decide on Thursday to uphold the inclusive policy.

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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.

This decision means the women's and men's ponds will not be considered single-sex spaces under the Equality Act, a point of contention for some. The campaign group Sex Matters, which had pursued a legal challenge, criticized the CLC's decision. Fiona McAnena, director of Sex Matters, stated that the CLC appeared to be defying the law and discriminating against women using the ladies' pond. "Many City of London councillors seem to think UK equality law doesn’t apply to the Hampstead ponds," McAnena remarked, adding that the policy is an "unlawful mess."

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The whole policy is an unlawful mess and it’s a disgrace that London councillors think that they can ride roughshod over the law.

Supporters of the trans-inclusive policy, however, have called the campaigners "cruel and judgmental," noting that transgender individuals have used the space without issue for decades. The CLC also announced plans to improve facilities, including adding more private cubicles to the toilet and shower areas. The decision comes despite recent government guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) suggesting single-sex services should be based on biological sex.

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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.