After years of local discussion, will the new Green-run council deliver on residents’ desire for an outdoor swimming spot?
By Nathan Clarke
“My personal ambition would certainly be to have a swimmable River Lea,” says councillor Anna Rose Kerr, the new cabinet member for sports and culture.
Cllr Kerr speaks to me on the hottest June day ever, a record which is broken again just days later as thousands flocked to lidos, reservoirs and ponds across the capital.
“Outdoor swimming is a huge priority for us,” they add, “not only because of its community aspect, but also when thinking about how we exist safely on this scorched earth.”
For years, calls for an outdoor swimming venue in Waltham Forest have fallen on deaf ears.
A key pledge in Labour’s manifesto in the 2022 local elections, a new lido at Low Hall Sports Ground was scrapped in 2024, while the council also distanced itself from plans for a new open-water swimming park in Lea Bridge in favour of a secure children’s home.
With the Green Party now in power, campaigners and residents have renewed calls for an outdoor swimming site in the borough – and early talks over a potential new site have already taken place.
In recent weeks, the council has been in “early” conversations with Thames Water regarding proposals for a new wild swimming site at Banbury Reservoir.
The site, which sits on the border of Enfield and Waltham Forest, consists of a large body of open water and three adjacent plots of land and community woodland, all of which is currently inaccessible to the public.
When approached, a spokesperson for Thames Water confirmed it had engaged with the council on Banbury Reservoir and its potential use for leisure activities – but that the safety of residents was their key priority.
News of early discussions was welcomed by the Enfield Climate Action Forum (EnCaf), who want Banbury Reservoir to become part of a ‘major’ new park to support new housing developments at Meridian Water – but the group said any plans would need to involve close collaboration with the local community around access, safety and biodiversity.
“This is exactly the kind of use EnCaf and CPRE London have been asking to see explored for some time, as part of our broader vision for the area,” a spokesperson said.
“Our previous community engagement found strong support for wild swimming and water-based activities, and many people saw this as something that could give the area a real identity and provide a much-needed public amenity.”
Outdoor swimming is experiencing a boom in popularity. According to Swim England, regular participation in open water swimming has more than doubled since 2016 with around 543,000 people now swimming regularly in rivers, lakes, lidos, seas and other bodies of water in the UK.
Rose Vee is an avid wild swimmer based in Walthamstow – and for her it’s not just a summer venture. “I’m not really a winter swimmer, but I have swum up to the end of October in the UK,” she said.
“When you’re in natural water, you get this intense feeling of calm and peace. You feel at one with nature. It’s a real feeling of connection and it takes all my stress away.”
Rose is part of a thriving community of outdoor swimmers in Waltham Forest.
“There is a reservoir in Stoke Newington which is lovely, but it’s not that accessible from here using public transport,” she said.
“It’s a beautiful environment, and if we could have something like that in Waltham Forest that would be absolutely brilliant.”
For years, campaigners at the East London Waterworks Park (ELWP) have been campaigning to convert an old waterworks site in Lea Bridge Road into a wild swimming park.
The group’s new CEO, Dr Miriam Burke, is still fighting for the park to be a reality despite plans by London Councils to turn the space into a secure children’s home.
Stressing the lack of affordable outdoor swimming provision in the capital, she said: “There’s a new outdoor swimming venue in Canary Wharf, but it’s very much for the privileged. If you want to go to the West Reservoir in Manor House, it’s expensive.
“The reality is not everyone feels welcome in these kinds of spaces. We want everyone, regardless of income or background, to feel like they belong in nature and green space.”
In a report published last year, the London Assembly’s environment committee set the Mayor of London the target of designating four new sites as bathing waters by 2028, and a further six by 2034.
To Cllr Kerr, the recent scorching temperatures underline the need for more outdoor swimming opportunities in the borough.
“I am a huge fan of outdoor swimming personally,” they said. “While it wasn’t something we focused on in our manifesto, it’s certainly something we’re keen to explore.
“My personal ambition would certainly be to have a swimmable River Lea, as well as other bodies of water which are safe to swim around Waltham Forest.
“We’re very new into this administration, so there’s work that needs to be done on finding appropriate sites, but I think it’s really important we find sustainable ways to cool down, because every summer is only going to get hotter from here.”
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