The family of lockdown hero Captain Sir Tom Moore will soon find out if they must demolish a spa that is said to have been constructed with funds the army veteran had raised for charity.
The Planning Inspectorate will likely decide in the next six weeks whether the pool and complex built at the Bedfordshire home of Sir Tom’s daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore will be allowed to stand.
Sir Tom, a Second World War veteran, caught the public imagination in 2020 when aged 99, he pledged to walk 100 lengths of his garden in aid of NHS Charities Together. He had only aimed to reach £1,000 but by the time he died, aged 100 in 2021, he had raised more than £30 million. Sir Tom became a media celebrity and even released a book during the Covid-19 pandemic period.
But his name has since been associated with a more unpleasant matter.
What did Sir Tom’s daughter allegedly do?
Hannah and her husband Colin Ingram-Moore put in the planning application in 2021 to the local council alongside her husband, Colin Ingram-Moore, to build an “office” for The Captain Tom Foundation at their home in Marston Moretaine.
The application was completed using the couple’s names, 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”.
The pair allegedly put in the application, telling the planners that space was “urgently required”.
A subsequent retrospective application in 2022, for a larger C-shaped building containing a spa pool, was refused by the planning authority.
In supporting documents, it was described as “a new building for use by the occupiers” of the home of Mr and Mrs Ingram-Moore and, in their statement, it was referred to as The Captain Tom Building.
But The Sun has reported that the result of building works was actually a 50ft by 20ft pool house complete with changing rooms, toilets, and showers.
The building was erected, but planning chiefs have now ordered that the unauthorised building in Captain Tom’s daughter’s home must be demolished.
Ms Ingram-Moore has appealed the demolition order, having previously denied any wrongdoing in relation to the charity concerning management and finances.
Now, an inquiry has been opened by the Charity Commission into the management of the charity and the couple have been ordered to demolish the building.
In addition, planning bosses at Central Bedfordshire Council said an enforcement notice requiring the demolition of the "now-unauthorised building" was issued - subject to an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate.
A spokesman said: “The Charity Commission has opened a statutory inquiry into The Captain Tom Foundation, after identifying concerns about the charity’s management, including about the charity’s independence from the family of the late Captain Sir Tom Moore and businesses connected to them.”
Ms Ingram-Moore was a trustee from February 1, 2021, until March 15, 2021, when she resigned. Her husband, Colin Ingram-Moore, became a trustee on February 1, 2021, and remains a trustee.
The charity’s trustees told The Sun: “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.”
Meanwhile, the foundation has confirmed it is not taking any more funding whilst it “co-operates fully” with the Charity Commission’s inquiry.
A spokesman said: “The Captain Tom Foundation is to ensure that it co-operates fully with the on-going 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.”
The Planning Inspectorate is expected to make a decision within six weeks as to whether the appeal will be upheld.
Who is Hannah Ingram-Moore?
Hannah Ingram-Moore is the daughter of Sir Tom Moore — the late, great Army captain who won the nation’s hearts when he made international headlines in 2020, after raising money for charity in the run-up to his 100th birthday during the Covid-19 pandemic by walking around his garden.
His daughter’s website says: “Hannah Ingram-Moore is more than just the daughter of Captain Sir Tom Moore. She is a successful businesswoman, a mother and a leader in every field. A business owner, an ambassador for gender equality in business and a mentor to a new generation of women aspiring for business success.”
Her bio also says that, after having spent more than two decades in the industry, Ingram-Moore has “developed businesses and brands of all sizes and from all over the world”.
She helped set up the charity that was formed in her father’s name after his death.
Ms Ingram-Moore is married to Colin Ingram and together they have two children, Benji and Georgia.
She is a coach for work and on her website says: “Be unwavering in your pursuit of personal achievement and happiness, be bold, authentic and remarkable.”
How much did Captain Tom Moore raise for NHS?
By his 100th birthday, he had walked 200 laps of his garden and made a whopping £32,796,436 in donations, which was the most ever raised by a single person.
With Gift Aid added by many of the 1.5 million people who gave money to his Just Giving page, the final total was £38.9 million for NHS charities.
What is the Captain Tom Moore Foundation?
The Captain Tom Foundation was established in May 2020, following Captain Tom’s fundraising walk, and is 100 per cent funded by donations, both from private individuals and businesses.
According to the charity, they provide grants and support to those who apply and still work closely with NHS charities.
Official stats from the Charity Commission show that they earned more than £1 million in 2021 and, of that money, spent £400,000 of it on charity expenditure.
