The extent of the demolition work which will have to be carried out after a council ordered the demolition of an unauthorised building in the home of the daughter of Captain Tom Moore can be seen in these pictures. The aerial shots taken by Press Association show the size of the C-shaped construction.
Central Bedfordshire Council said a retrospective planning application for the site had been refused and an enforcement notice issued requiring the demolition of the “now-unauthorised building” containing a spa pool.
The issue blew up after fundraiser Captain Tom’s daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore and her husband Colin applied in 2021 for permission to build a Captain Tom Foundation Building in the grounds of their home in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire.
The L-shaped building was given the green light, and in a design and access and heritage statement it was described as to be used partly “in connection with the Captain Tom Foundation and its charitable objectives”. However the actual building departed from the original plans - and they submitted a retrospective application, for a larger C-shaped building containing a spa pool, which has been refused by the planning authority.
A spokesperson for Central Bedfordshire Council, the planning authority for the area, said: “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.”
On Tuesday, the foundation put out a statement saying it would not seek donations, and was closing all payment channels, while the Charity Commission carried out an inquiry. The foundation said: “At this moment in time, the sole focus of the Captain Tom Foundation is to ensure that it co-operates 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 while 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 inquiry.
“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.”
The foundation previously said, in a statement to a national newspaper: “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.”
The Charity Commission opened an inquiry in to the foundation in June 2022 after identifying concerns about the charity’s management and independence from the late veteran’s family.
