Captain Tom's daughter fights order to demolish spa and pool complex 'built in name of hero's charity'
5 July 2023, 15:17 | Updated: 8 July 2023, 12:51
Captain Sir Tom Moore's daughter is fighting against an order to demolish the spa and pool complex at her £1.2million home.
Hannah Ingram-Moore and her husband, Colin Ingram-Moore, told local planners in their application that they wanted to build an L-shaped office for The Captain Tom Foundation.
But the couple instead constructed a 'C-shaped' 50ft by 20ft pool house complete with changing rooms, showers and toilets.
Planners ordered that the building, originally dubbed the Captain Tom Foundation Building, be torn down after the C-shaped complex was rejected retrospective planning permission.
They have since confirmed that an appeal was launched against the demolition of the building.
"An enforcement notice requiring the demolition of the now unauthorised building was issued and this is now subject to an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate," Central Bedfordshire Council said, according to the Sun.
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Objections to the constructed building branded it "ugly", a "complete eyesore" and "out of character" for the area.
Locals said a petition to get the larger building demolished had accumulated around 100 signatures, with 20 lodging formal objections with Central Bedfordshire Council on the grounds that it wasn't in keeping with the area, blocked views and intruded on privacy.
One of the complaints stated: "I am shocked at the complete lack of consultation by the applicant with the neighbours on the boundary of the development whose residential amenity has all been severely harmed."
A second local resident added: "The building is ugly, far too large for the site, and really out of character and scale for its location.
"How the Council could have approved this building and for it then to be built so much bigger than the approved plans is terrible."
In August 2021, the couple sought planning permission for a charity office which they said was "urgently required" for presentations and memorabilia.
The building was given the green light, but a retrospective application for the spa complex made under their own name was refused last year - meaning that they face having to tear it down.
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Trustees of The Captain Tom Foundation said: “At no time were The Captain Tom Foundation’s independent trustees aware of planning permissions made by Mr and Mrs Ingram-Moore purporting to be in the foundation’s name.
“Had they been aware of any applications, the independent trustees would not have authorised them.
“At this moment in time, the sole focus of The Captain Tom Foundation is to ensure that it cooperates fully with the ongoing Statutory Inquiry by the Charity Commission.
“As a result, The Captain Tom Foundation is not presently actively seeking any funding from donors.
“Accordingly, we have also taken the decision to close all payment channels whilst the Statutory Inquiry remains open.
“Once the findings of the Statutory Inquiry have been communicated, The Captain Tom Foundation will be in a better position to make a decision in relation to its future, but for now, our main priority is to assist the Charity Commission with its enquiry.
“In the meantime, on behalf of the trustees of The Captain Tom Foundation, we wish to extend a warm thank you to all our supporters who have enabled us to help charities that were close to Captain Sir Tom’s heart.”
Captain Sir Tom Moore raised nearly £39 million for NHS Charities Together by walking laps of his garden during the pandemic.
In March last year, the Captain Tom Foundation - which is separate from the money he raised from the NHS - requested the watchdog's permission to employ Ms Ingram-Moore on a salary of £60,000 per year for three days a week.
The Commission requested evidence of the benchmarking exercise undertaken.
The charity provided the Commission with this evidence and a revised proposal to appoint Ms Ingram-Moore on a salary of £100,000 on a full-time basis.
In July 2021, the watchdog refused permission to employ her as chief executive on a salary of £100,000, considering the proposed salary "neither reasonable nor justifiable".
A month later, the Commission permitted the charity to appoint Ms Ingram-Moore as interim CEO on a salary of £85,000 per year, on a three-month rolling contract, for a maximum of nine months whilst the trustees conducted an open recruitment process.
This period has now ended and the charity has since recruited a new CEO.