Hampstead Heath ponds will remain trans-inclusive: ‘Most swimmers welcome this decision’

Hampstead Heath officials have said that the public swimming pools will remain trans-inclusive following campaigns by the gender-critical group Sex Matters. 

City of London Corporation councillors have voted to keep the parks’ bathing ponds open to trans swimmers. In doing so, they rejected the campaigners’ urging to follow the Supreme Court judgement that “sex” refers to biological sex.

Councillors rejected this “strictly single-sex access” bid. Instead, they are maintaining existing rules that the Ladies’ Pond is for use by biological and trans women.

In 2025, Sex Matters began legal proceedings against the City of London Corporation. Their “keep men out of the Ladies’ Pond” campaign set out to challenge the trans-inclusive policy.

The Sex Matters campaign argued that allowing trans people to use facilities of their gender identity was a breach of the Equality Act.

However, a 2025 consultation, with over 38,000 participants, revealed most wanted the existing trans-inclusive arrangements to remain. Just 13% said they wanted the Men’s and Ladies’ ponds to become strictly single-sex spaces.

In response, Sex Matters cast doubts on the results and called the number of respondents as “extraordinary.”

‘The people were asked. And the people responded correctly.’

In response to the news about the pond being upheld as a trans-inclusive space, there is, sadly, some transphobic hatred spreading online.

Though there are also those who are happy that the space will remain trans inclusive. One commenter on a news post about the ruling shared: “The people were asked. And the people responded correctly.”

Another also shared: “I use the ladies pond and I can confidently say that most of the swimmers I know will welcome this decision.”

One other commenter remarked: “Finally a common sense approach to this issue and people listening to the users of a service (who have no issue with trans people) rather than online rhetoric and bigotry.”

Opened in 1926, Kenwood Ladies’, Highgate Men’s, and Hampstead Mixed ponds have long been inclusive of trans people. In 2019, the City of London Corporation formally acknowledged trans people’s right to swim in the single-sex ponds.

Moving forward, there are set to be improvements for the three ponds. This will include upgrades to changing, showering and toilet facilities.

As the BBC reported, the executive director of the environment, Katie Stewart, said the works at the Ladies’ Pond would ensure that those wanting to change privately could do so. Final funding and timings are due to be presented to members in July.

The report is to go to a separate committee, the Policy and Resources Committee, for a final decision on June 4.

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