Ladies’ pond swimmers have been unable to take to the water after a survey for the controversial dams project temporarily closed the pool.

Ladies’ pond swimmers have been unable to take to the water this week after a survey for the controversial dams project temporarily closed the pool.

The Kenwood Ladies’ Pond in Hampstead Heath will be shut for about four days while divers work under the pool’s jetty to assess the condition of steel columns and foundations of the pool’s changing rooms.

The City of London Corporation, which runs Hampstead Heath, said the survey was carried out to shape designs for new facilities at the pond as part of the £15million project to prevent dams flooding in the event of a freak storm.

Bathers can still swim in the pond before 9.30am every morning, but will then be asked to move to the mixed pond.

The news comes as a row broke out this week over plans to carry out works to the ladies’ pond during nesting season in early Spring next year.

Regular swimmer Eve Featherstone, 59, of Bounds Green, said the plans to remove silt from the pool will disturb the ducks and geese which return to the pond every year to breed.

“It would just be a shame, and very silly,” she said.

However, the City of London said the techniques used to de-silt the pond will have a minimal impact on birds nesting around the pond’s edge.

It will remove floating safety rings often used by nesting birds to encourage them to take their broods elsewhere.