Developing Hampton Pool for the future

Hampton Pool Trust plans to update the facilities at Hampton Pool by making long-overdue improvements to the main building and the associated facilities. Improved changing areas for families, a covered seating area by the café, enlarged gym and studio spaces and disabled access throughout are all part of the plans, as are significant improvements to energy efficiency that will comply with the GLA’s London Plan.

Hampton Pool is enjoyed by thousands ofpeople who regularly swim, exercise and attend classes and many thousands more who enjoy the summer picnic concerts. In 2018/19, there were more than 278,000 visits and 43 local schools, sports and community groups made use of our facilities. However, most users will admit that the building desperately needs some improvements in order to protect its special character, to make it more usable for the whole community and to give it a viable future. Hampton Pool Trust has been working on these plans for over six years now, with regular stakeholder consultations along the way. The planning application was submitted to LBRuT in 2016 and, whilst progress has been slower than we’d hoped, we believe a resolution is now almost in sight.

Hampton Pool Trust is passionate about securing the future of our cherished local community facility and ensuring it remains a viable, sustainable gem for many generations to come.

The Trust’s plans

Hampton Pool Trust plans to make long-overdue improvements to the main building and extend the facilities into the area of currently unused land behind the deep end. The improvements will, at last, provide our community with a fully accessible and inclusive facility, with new family changing rooms and showers, a building that is fully compliant with the Equality Act (2010) and more flexible spaces for classes and training courses.

We will provide access by lift to the first floor, where our Sun Deck Café is situated. We plan to add more covered seating on the sun deck to allow greater use of the café, regardless of the weather, while retaining the outdoor sundeck area for sunnier days. We will also be adding first floor toilets.

New filtering and heating equipment will create additional space and be more energy and water efficient. The new equipment will include air source heat pumps and other possible optional technologies such as solar thermal, ground source heat pumps and heat reclamation.

All of these improvements will help to create a facility with a more sustainable future.

Current progress

Our planning application has been with Richmond Council (LBRuT) since August 2016 and in the period since our applicaton was made LBRuT commissioned a viability study and has been in consultation with the Greater London Authority (GLA). Detailed planning points have been concerned with development on Metropolitan Open Land and establishing that our plans comply with the current London Plan. Questions were returned to us on energy use and water runoff all of which have been addressed, so we expect the planning application process to resume and, we hope, to move forward in 2020.

The plans are widely supported

The public’s response to the exhibition of the development plans in July 2016 was overwhelmingly positive. Consultation and communication has continued subsequently with stakeholders, Trust members and neighbours, including answering many questions raised. The Royal Parks (Hampton Pool is built on Bushy Park land) and other major stakeholders are in favour of the development.

The aim is to improve transport issues

An independent Transport Report recognised that there would be an increase in site usage associated with the development but took the view that this increase will be spread throughout the 16-hour day, therefore associated vehicle movements should not have a significant impact.

To minimise any increase in traffic movement and offsite parking, the plans incorporate additional secure bike racks and a resurfaced and redesigned car park to improve use of the space.

Minimal pool closure during the build

Once the plans are approved, the build will take approximately two years to complete. During this time, our priority will be to minimise any closure of the pool to swimmers.

Hampton Pool will continue to serve the whole community

The underpinning argument for the proposed building development is to ensure Hampton Pool can continue to serve the local community for generations to come. Hampton Pool Trust is proud of Hampton Pool’s special nature and the place it holds in the hearts of so many local people, and we are working hard to protect that.