Work to construct a six lane swimming pool in East Reading begins this week.

The Palmer Park pool forms part of a £40m council project to invest in leisure facilities, which includes building Rivermead Leisure Centre.

An overflow carpark and coach drop off point was completed in August and the pool is expected to be open by late 2022.

Reading Borough councillor for sport Graeme Hoskin said: “I’m delighted that work on the new leisure facilities at Palmer Park is gathering pace and that physical construction of the new pool will begin very shortly.

Read more: Diggers break ground at new leisure centre in Reading

“It is exciting times to see the building of our new pools and leisure centre progressing. This continues to provide residents with tangible evidence of our commitment to delivering the new facilities.

He said once completed the two projects would put Reading “firmly on the map as a top sports destination.”

The complete list of works at Palmer Park include: Refurbishment of the existing stadium building 25 metre, 6-lane community pool 100-station gym An activity zone for children with party rooms New café and information hub.

Read more: Cost of building new Rivermead and Palmer Park pools rises by more than £2 million

The plans for the community pool at Palmer Park, independently assessed to achieve an ‘Excellent’ rating, have been submitted to the Building Research Establishment (BRE) this month, which is the longest established environmental assessment method and rating system for buildings.

Councillor Hoskin added: “As a Council, taking action on the climate emergency is a top priority for us. The new centres will be constructed to BREEAM Excellent standards. Measures to reduce carbon emissions, use renewables and improve environmental efficiency will hopefully make Reading’s leisure facilities as environmentally friendly as possible.”