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Swimming groups gird their loins for new ponds battle
By Marc Mullen
SWIMMING groups are gearing up for another battle after figures revealed that cash raised from charging at the bathing ponds is set to fall well short of targets.
The City of London Corporation introduced the controversial £2 voluntary charges at the three bathing ponds on Hampstead Heath on July 1 last year.
With one month left to the end of the swimming season, Heath bosses have collected just £33,619 - a long way below the £80,000 target.
In autumn, the corporation will review all the original options for bathing on the Heath, which included closing the ponds to swimmers.
Sally Taylor, chairwoman of the Mixed Pond Action Group, said: "I think they will either make paying compulsory or cut the hours the ponds are open.
"I think if this starts again they will find a high level of resistance and the whole caboodle will start again."
Robert Sutherland-Smith, chairman of the United Swimmers Association, added: "I am not concerned at all by the prospect of another battle. I will wait until hell freezes over. The act of 1871 says the Heath should be free and open to the public."
The swimming charges were introduced to plug a £650,000 gap in Heath management's finances.
Swimmers groups packed into the Livery Hall of the Guildhall in February 2005 in protest as the Heath bosses voted in favour of the charges.
In July last year parking charges were also introduced in the Heath's three car parks - Jack Straw's Castle, East Heath Road and Parliament Hill lido. Visitors have so far paid £240,000 for parking on the Heath. The corporation refused to disclose the amount of profit as it is "commercially sensitive".
Ms Taylor said: "They use the term 'commercially sensitive' to cover up when they have been inefficient in their business of the management of the Heath."
Swimmers say more money would have been collected if the machines hadn't broken down during several of the busiest weekends of the summer. Ms Taylor said: "I do pay, but I know people who stopped paying because they were disgusted by the £2,000 bonuses paid to management for dealing with us swimmers, which is ludicrous - we are upstanding members of the community."
A City of London spokeswoman said: "The situation at the three bathing ponds has absolutely not changed since we first discussed with swimmers the introduction of charges.
"We are still asking people to pay these charges and very much hope that swimmers will do so, to meet the £80,000 income target by November this year."
Meanwhile Hampstead resident Ed Fordham has been recommended for nomination to the Heath Management Committee as Camden's representative.
The decision on whether he succeeds former councillor John Thane will be made on September 21.
marc.mullen@hamhigh.co.uk
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