Hampstead Heath spends £1m on 'privacy' upgrades after letting trans swimmers in women's pond

Hampstead Heath will spend £1million on "privacy" upgrades after granting trans swimmers access to women's ponds.

The Ladies' Pond will remain "trans inclusive", City of London Corporation councillors have ruled, despite the landmark Supreme Court decision that the term "woman" refers to biological sex.

The gaggle of councillors admitted the pond's rules only aligned with the previous interpretation of the Equality Act 2010 and had been in operation since 2017.

They have given the green light to keep access as it currently operates - allowing both trans women and biological women to swim there.

Councillors said they would review the current policies in place in light of the Supreme Court judgement, running a consultation which received more than 38,000 responses.

But, after around 13 per cent saying they wished for the Men's and Ladies' to become single-sex spaces, committee members elected to keep the space "trans inclusive".

To appease women who want privacy, the committee members decided to splash £1million to improve changing, showering and toilet facilities instead of enforcing the judicial decision.

The committee's executive director of environment Katie Stewart said the upgrades would allow those wanting to change privately could do so.

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