Rishi Sunak splashes £400,000 on swimming pool as parts of England face a drought

Rishi Sunak's £400,000 swimming pool is coming along nicely – just as parts of England face the driest summer in 50 years.

Aerial footage shows the construction of the mini leisure complex at his £1.5 million mansion, after being granted permission for his swimming pool, gym and adjoining tennis court.

The project will likely cost the Tory leader contender more than £400,000 and is estimated to cost £13,000 yearly to keep warm.

Last year, the ex-Chancellor and his wife applied for permission to build a gym, a 12-metre by 5-metre swimming pool, four showers and utilities and storage rooms.

The going rate for just a pool that size is around £120,000 without excavation works. One leading firm said a fully insulated building starts at around £405,000. And, that's before additional funds for gym equipment, construction of the single-storey building and full-size tennis courts.

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Meanwhile, the cost of living crisis lives on for Brits, and now, a drought has been declared for parts of England which could lead to a hosepipe ban.

The conditions, which have almost completely deprived some areas of rainfall all summer, have prompted the National Drought Group to move parts of the South West, parts of southern and central England, and the East of England into official drought status.

The change could lead to more measures such as hosepipe bans. However, the Environment Agency has reassured the public that essential water supplies are safe.

Water minister Steve Double said the Government was already taking action, the EA and others to manage the impacts.

"All water companies have reassured us that essential supplies are still safe, and we have made it clear it is their duty to maintain those supplies," he said.

"We are better prepared than ever before for periods of dry weather, but we will continue to closely monitor the situation, including impacts on farmers and the environment, and take further action as needed."

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