‘Use of the ponds has always been free of charge’

• MAY I make an observation or two about the proposals to change the regime at the Hampstead Heath Ponds.

I am a bit worried that the mighty and wealthy City of London Corporation has pounced on this as a means of compelling us to pay for using the Hampstead Ponds – something they look to have been aching to do for years.

Use of the ponds has always been free of charge. They are ponds, not swimming pools – no heating, no lighting etc.

I am suspicious about the reasons given for these proposals because there was no reported big numbers problem in 2017 or 2018, but they seem to have leaped on 2019 visitor numbers to provide an excuse to rake in revenue.

Taking last year, there were only one or two hot days when numbers grew enormously (and this is something that happens most years).

That should not demand huge expenditure to cater for. Much of the year the ponds are quiet. What about better training for the staff in crowd control at these highly infrequent peak times?

There was never an “honesty box” system. The ponds have always been free for the use of Londoners. What evidence have these faceless bureaucrats got to make accusations that other people are dishonest? Remember the contribution the City made to the great banking crash?

BOB WOAD, N12