JK Sees #1: Taking a dip in the Albion Channel to beat the heat
With the Met Office issuing a red warning of extreme heat for much of the UK, the record for the hottest June day being broken for the second day in a row (shoutout to Yeovilton in Somerset with a provisional 36.4ºC measurement) and climate change only making heatwaves more common, the question I’m asking is how can we innovate to beat the heat?
Whilst we all roast alive, especially those of us who don’t have access to an air-conditioned office to hunker down in, water temperatures in summer are typically around 15-20ºC. As I write this, that’s up to 20ºC cooler than today’s air, and it’s why I found myself in the pool earlier this afternoon. Then there is the well documented concept of ‘blue space urban cooling’ – that proximity to water measurably reduces ambient temperatures.
Earlier, as I was walking around Canada Water, along the Albion Channel and around Surrey Water, it dawned on me that Rotherhithe and Surrey Docks are no strangers to open water. As part of the legacy of former industry, from South Dock to Thames Link, and the Thames itself, our waterways help to keep us all cool across the peninsula, even if it didn’t feel like it this week.
But this moved my attention to something else entirely, as I observed the canal still devoid of any water and still awaiting wildlife to return: What if we turned a section of the Albion Channel into a seasonal open water swimming destination?
Earlier this month and across the river, Canary Wharf opened Sea Lanes: a 50m pool directly in the water. Closer to us, even Greenland Dock has a limited number of regular weekly open water swimming sessions that I haven’t quite made it to yet. And up until 1992, Southwark Park had its own lido: the children’s playground was built on top of it – the pool is still there, just buried underneath.
The section of the Albion Channel alongside Maritime Street runs for approximately 125 metres, with a width of around six metres and a depth of about a metre. What’s more is that, unlike other sections of this waterway, this site also has the potential space to host peripheral infrastructure that could be needed, all without significantly impacting the public right of way.
Of course, for a project like this, it’s important to complete all the environmental impact assessments as well as mitigations to maintain water quality too. But given that a decision by Southwark Council’s previous administration meant that all the habitat was dug up and destroyed, just as the migration season was about to start, what better time to think about how we could use this waterway?
The project too needs to have a strong business case. On the back of an envelope, setting up the site could cost anywhere from £2m upwards, but by charging between £5 and £7 per swim, it has the potential to turn over anything from £500k–£1m every six-month season. And for every £1 spent on physical activity around £4 is returned to the local economy.
The demand is there too. According to Better (GLL), the UK’s largest public swimming operator, visits to its nine lidos in June, July and August 2025 were up 30% compared to 2024. At the same time though, joint research by Swim England and ukactive published last year showed 500 pools had closed, 42% since 2020 alone. Sport England’s data estimates that between four and seven million people swim in open water.
In addition to the obvious health and wellbeing benefits of swimming which save the NHS an estimated £357 million every year, there are economic benefits too. Swimming generates £2.4 billion of social value annually, and allowing people to swim in a section of the Albion Channel would continue to solidify Canada Water as a destination, whilst providing something local people can access too.
So, rather than dig up the old lido in Southwark Park – and find a new home for the playground too – what if we chose something radical instead? Installing a seasonal swimming destination in the heart of our community would put Canada Water on the map. It’s an ambitious concept, but not insurmountable – would you swim in the Albion Channel if it opened in 2027?
This was an edition of JK Sees, where I share a radical concept and call for your input and response. Is this idea too crazy? Could it practically work? What do you think? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.