A pub landlord could be in hot water with the council after building a swimming pool in the Jolly Anglers’ garden during lockdown without seeking permission beforehand.

Xemal Zeqiri, who owns the Jolly Anglers by the Kennet in east Reading, installed 25ft swimming pool, 86-inch TV, pizza oven and hot tub during the coronavirus lockdown.

He may now have to submit a planning application retrospectively, according to the council’s lead member for Planning, while the licensing team have also got in touch with the landlord.

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Cllr Page, Reading Borough Council’s lead member for Planning, said: “Construction of that sort would normally require a planning application.

“What concerns me is making sure it has been constructed in a safe way. How is it drained? How is it cleaned?”

But a spokesman for the council struck a more conciliatory tone, saying: “Officers from RBC’s planning and licensing teams are currently working with the landlord of the Jolly Anglers to ensure all required permissions are in place.”

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Mr Zeqiri said the swimming pool is currently only being used as a garden feature.

He said: “We do have plans to make it available for swimming in the future, however this is going to be exclusively for guests of our BnB and will, of course, depend on the situation with Covid-19.

“In regard to the drainage and cleaning of the swimming pool we have done a great deal of research and will be hiring out a specialist company to ensure this is done to the highest standard.

“They will be draining and replacing the water in the pool routinely as well as performing a deep clean of the inside to a professional standard.

“In the meantime, we are maintaining this feature with recommended cleaning solutions and keeping the area sealed off from customers.”