Under the proposed plans, residents want to buy the 5.68 hectare state-owned site on the polluted River Lea in Waltham Forest and turn it into a ‘rainforest’, with two free-standing swimming pools, community areas, an anaerobic digester. , a cafe and a manufacturing and repair center. East London Waterworks Park’s two ponds, measuring around 1,600 square meters and 1,400 square metres, will be fed by rainwater treated by reedbeds and aquatic plants, and the site will run on hydro and solar power and have a capacity of 1,000 people the day. . “There’s a real desire to swim in open water to reconnect with nature, and there’s just not enough capacity right now to meet that desire,” said project president Abigail Woodman, who works in educational publishing. The idea came from community members after government plans to build two free schools on the site, which they bought from Thames Water, fell through. After a public meeting three years ago, fast swimming became a popular idea. “For the community, this is about embodying hope, because it can feel very bleak what’s going on right now,” Woodman said. “It’s about saying we can make things better, we have the ability and the power to do that if we come together and work hard.” Amid record temperatures and drought, this summer demand for wild swimming continues to soar following increased interest during the pandemic. But with pollution warnings and limited capacity at a small number of dedicated sites, particularly in cities, plus entry fees, options are limited. East London Waterworks Park’s vision for the Thames Water site. Photo: ELWP William Upton, chairman of the City of London Corporation’s Hampstead Heath management committee, said “a record number of swimmers” have used the Mixed Bathing Pond, Highgate Men’s Bathing Pond and Kenwood Ladies’ Bathing Pond, each regularly attracting more from 1,500 swimmers. one day. The lakes were originally created in the 17th and 18th centuries as reservoirs before some were later converted into swimming pools. Other wild swimming sites, West Reservoir in Hackney and Beckenham Place Park Lake in Lewisham, have since opened, but the new project believes its lakes will be the first to be created for centuries. So far, residents have raised more than £210,000 in crowdfunding in just a few weeks. The target is £500,000 by October 28 if the project is to progress to the next stage. Once the purchase is complete and planning permission is granted, it is hoped the lakes will open to volunteers in 2027 and to the public two years later. With a child poverty rate of over 42% in Waltham Forest, free use of the facility is a vital aspect of the project. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. “We’re going to split our ability to bring in income and make sure we can keep the site from being used so it’s open and inclusive for everyone,” Woodman said. “So a world that runs for people and nature.” In addition to positive associations with physical and mental health, the lakes would also draw attention to water use in a period of dwindling supplies by displaying real-time data on how water is being used. “It’s very easy when you live in a city to become disconnected from what’s going on with our water supply,” Woodman said. “The water companies say we have low water consumption. but it still comes out of the tap.” Ed Accura, co-founder of the Black Swimming Association (BSA) and producer of the documentary Blacks Can’t Swim, said the project would be a positive addition to the area, but that for many people, swimming doesn’t feel “relevant”. . Research by Sport England found that 95% of black adults and 80% of black children in England and 93% of Asian adults and 78% of Asian children do not swim. Members of the East London Waterworks Park team. Photo: Jonathan Perugia Calling for water safety training to be a top priority, he said more than 100 people had so far taken part in the BSA’s pilot water orientation and familiarization program in Hackney and there were plans to roll it out across the country. Accura, 56, who grew up in Tottenham, said a few years ago he would have been “totally indifferent” to the creation of new wild swimming lakes. When he first entered a pool he felt fear. “Since then, I’ve been learning to swim, getting more used to getting in the water. I feel relieved.” Woodman said the project plans to work with youth to create a water safety campaign that will appeal to their peers. The scheme has the support of Shirley Rodrigues, London’s deputy mayor for environment and energy, who said it was an “excellent example of community-led action”. He said the mayor, Sadiq Khan, is “committed to bringing nature closer to Londoners and reviving the city by protecting, restoring and enhancing its green and blue spaces… It is important that proposals like this strengthen the local area and create new parks and open spaces, we’re helping to build a better London for everyone.” The Department for Education, which is believed to be responsible for selling the site, and Waltham Forest council said they were unable to comment on the proposed plans at this stage. Thames Water, which met East London Waterworks Park in July, said it was “willing to support all stakeholder groups who want to develop wild swimming areas”.
