Hampstead Heath Ladies' Pond faces legal action over 'failure to bans trans women despite Supreme Court ruling'
Hampstead Heath Ladies' Pond is facing legal action for allegedly failing to ban transgender women despite the landmark Supreme Court gender ruling.
The famed women-only bathing spot has maintained its trans-inclusive policy pending a 'review' in spite of the UK's highest court ruling in April that trans women are not legally female.
Women's rights campaigners sent a legal letter to the City of London Corporation, which manages the ponds, last week warning they intend to bring a legal challenge unless the policy is revoked with 'immediate effect'.
The Kenwood Ladies' Pond opened in 1925 and is the sole women-only freshwater swimming pool in the country. There is also a men-only pond and a mixed-sex pond.
The legal letter, seen by the Mail, says that the current policy 'violates the dignity of women using the Ladies' Pond' and that the Corporation is 'operating it unlawfully by allowing trans identifying males to access it'.
It adds: 'The policy has the effect of creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for many women users of the Ladies' Pond.'
Women have been left feeling uncomfortable using the Ladies' Pond and some no longer feel it is 'a safe space to bring their daughters' due to continued use by trans women, the letter claims.
It adds that some women have 'been subjected to trans identifying men being naked in the changing area and showers' while others have allegedly 'experienced trans identifying men taking photographs of women and girls'.
Following the Supreme Court judgment the London authority confirmed its self-ID policy would 'remain in effect at this time' while it considered the implications. Last night it said that the 'current arrangements remain in place'.
The letter before claim, sent by charity Sex Matters, adds: 'The defendant's decisions not to withdraw the policy pending the review will result in direct discrimination, indirect discrimination and harassment against women users of the Ladies' Pond.
'This is because by allowing trans identifying men to use the Ladies' Pond, it places these women at risk of fear, humiliation, indignity and harassment.'
It calls for the policy to be 'withdrawn with immediate effect' and for the Corporation to issue a statement confirming that it will comply with the Supreme Court ruling and 'will operate the Ladies' Pond as a single-sex service'.
The row over the ladies' pond dates back to 2017 when the Mail on Sunday revealed the City of London Corporation had agreed to allow trans women to use the pool and female changing rooms.
In 2019, the local authority adopted an official policy allowing trans swimmers to use the pond - used by famous names such as actress Helena Bonham Carter and novelist Esther Freud - despite objections from women who said they felt 'unsafe' as a result.
A City of London Corporation spokesman said: 'In line with other service providers, we are reviewing our access policies, including those at Hampstead Heath's Bathing Ponds.'
He added: 'In considering the way forward, we have taken, and will continue to take, specialist legal advice. The current arrangements remain in place during the review.
'Our priority is to provide a safe and respectful environment for everyone.'
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