A couple will build a 23m by 11m swimming pond with a jetty in the garden of their listed Buckinghamshire home if their plans are approved.

Thomas and Sarah Gibney plan to construct the new feature at Cherry Tree Farm, the Green in Ley Hill near Chesham.

The pond would be located to the south-east of the detached property they have owned since 2016.

Around the edge, the pond would be 0.25-0.5m deep, with a 2.2m deeper section in the middle, measuring 4.95m by 17m.

Black liner will keep the water in the pond, with gravel and sand covering it in shallower areas, and a drain to divert run-off in times of heavy rainfall.

Six bubble pumps will keep water in the pond circulating, while carefully chosen, mainly native, plants will ‘naturally filter the water to keep a low level of nutrients to prevent excessive algal growth’.

Plans state: “The plants within the pond would ensure excellent water quality, providing a natural habitat for breeding amphibians and wetland invertebrates such as dragonflies and water beetles. The pond would also provide a source of drinking water for birds and mammals.”

Water boatmen, pond skaters, and damselflies may also be attracted to the pond, according to the plans, which add that fish will not be introduced to the water because they would ‘upset the balance of nutrients in the pond’.

In a letter to council, the applicants said: “We have deep commitment to improving the impact of this site on the local environment.”