Overview
- City of London councillors on the Hampstead Heath, Highgate Wood and Queen’s Park Committee approved in principle keeping the current access rules and endorsed a package of privacy works.
- The Ladies’ Pond will continue to be for biological and trans women, with the Men’s Pond the mirror for men, a practice the Corporation says has been in place since at least 2017.
- Officers cited a consultation with more than 38,000 responses showing strong support for the status quo and reported no substantiated incidents since 2017, arguing strict biological segregation would be hard to justify.
- The works focus on privacy in changing, showering and toilet areas across the three ponds, with a budget of up to £1.08 million and detailed funding and timelines due to go to members in July.
- The final decision rests with the Policy and Resources Committee on June 4, as Sex Matters pursues a legal challenge and argues the policy is unlawful following the Supreme Court’s 2024 ruling that defined sex as biological.