A swimming pool built in a Reading pub during lockdown is here to stay, after the council said the landlord would not face any enforcement action.

Pub landlord Xemal Zeqiri built a swimming pool in the Jolly Anglers’ garden during the first lockdown without seeking permission from Reading Borough Council (RBC).

Mr Zeqiri, who bought the east Reading riverside pub in February 2019, installed a 25ft-long swimming pool, 86-inch TV, pizza oven, and hot tub over the spring and summer lockdown earlier this year.

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Despite initial concerns from the council’s lead member for Planning, the council has not found any wrongdoing with the transformation.

A spokesman for the council said there was no action taken against the Jolly Anglers and there are no plans for any action from either the licensing or planning departments.

Mr Zeqiri said spent a total of around £4,000 transforming the garden, with most of that spent on the pool, pizza oven, hot tub and TV.

Councillor Tony Page, RBC’s lead member for Planning, had raised concerns about the construction of the pool back in August.

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

He responded: “We do have plans to make it available for swimming in the future, however this is going to be exclusively for guests of our B’n’B 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.”

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Mr Zeqiri said the transformation had tripled trade over the summer months.