Ambitious plans have been unveiled for a free public wild swimming facility complete with a sandy beach in the heart of East London. The project, spearheaded by the community interest company East London Water Works Park, aims to transform a disused 14-acre Thames Water depot on Lea Bridge Road in Hackney into a unique aquatic park.
A Vision for Natural Swimming and Community Space
Newly released illustrations depict how the site could be redeveloped, pending approval from Hackney Council. The centrepiece would be 3,000 square metres of naturally filtered swimming water, created across two distinct pools. One pool is designed to be family-friendly, featuring a wider beach area near the site's buildings. The second would offer a more secluded, natural setting for an authentic wild swimming experience.
The plans include a sandy beach with enough space for nearly 100 people at a time. Remarkably, the organisers state the facility could facilitate up to 1,200 swimmers per day. For context, the entire swimming area would be part of larger wild ponds totalling 8,300 square metres, vastly larger than the 1,250 square metre London Fields Lido.
How a Free-to-Use Model Would Work
Nathan Miller, a director of East London Water Works, confirmed the goal is to keep swimming sessions completely free for the public. The innovative funding model proposes generating more renewable electricity on-site than is needed and selling the surplus back to the National Grid to cover operational costs.
The swimming pools would be filled with rainwater purified by a natural filtration system using 5,300 square metres of reed beds. These reed beds are capable of removing up to 90 percent of nitrogen from water, while also oxygenating it and trapping sediment. This process results in clearer water that is more accessible to wildlife.
More Than Just Swimming: A Hub for Nature and Learning
The park's scope extends far beyond swimming. The proposal includes:
- A walled community garden and a dedicated community hub.
- A forest school and a café.
- Extensive areas for wildlife, including a wildlife garden and a wildflower meadow.
"My first thought was that I’d love something like this to exist for my kids growing up and to have that locally for them," Mr Miller told MyLondon. He emphasised the project's unique nature, stating, "There's nothing like it in London yet. There are no free accessible swimming spaces so providing that is what the community want to experience. These kinds of projects let communities take back agency."
The project represents a significant step towards creating new, sustainable and accessible green-blue infrastructure in the capital, turning a former industrial depot into a haven for recreation, nature, and community wellbeing.
