Captain Tom Moore's family defend 'unauthorised' spa pool building at Marston Moretaine home as plans head to appeal

A planning appeal hearing over an unauthorised spa facility built at the Grade II listed Bedfordshire property of Captain Sir Tom Moore’s daughter is set for October 17.

The family of the World War Two Army veteran lodged an appeal over a demolition order for the building at The Old Rectory, The Green, Marston Moretaine.

The deadline passed this week for Central Bedfordshire Council to submit its case arguments to the planning inspectorate.

Planning permission was granted originally by the local authority in November 2021, but a retrospective application was refused a year later.

A newspaper report alleged the family exploited the former Army veteran's name to build a spa pool in a detached single-storey building behind the house.

Hannah Ingram-Moore and her husband, Colin, used the Captain Tom Foundation name on the initial full plans for the development. The revised application was submitted after an enforcement visit by CBC officers.

The appeal document submitted by Colin Ingram-Moore said: "The subject building is no more overbearing than the consented scheme.

"The view is virtually identical except for a pitch roof being added to the elevational treatment. The heights are the same. As such there cannot be an unacceptable overbearing impact.

"There are no grounds supporting the refusal of the retrospective application." Mr Ingram-Moore asked the planning inspectorate to uphold the appeal.

CBC claims there are "significant differences" between the approved and constructed buildings and it "doesn't consider the need to demolish the building is excessive".

The local authority said: "The size and scale of the unauthorised building have an adverse impact on the amenity of the neighbouring dwellings."

It explained previously: "An enforcement notice requiring the demolition of the now unauthorised building was issued and this is subject to an appeal to the planning inspectorate now."

The intended use was as storage and office space for the occupiers' charitable work to support the Captain Tom Moore Foundation and for occasional meetings related to the charity.

Colin Ingram-Moore is one of the three charity trustees and Captain Sir Tom Moore's daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore is the interim CEO.

The building was intended to facilitate Foundation activities, but primarily for Captain Tom memorabilia, according to an earlier report by CBC senior planning officer Annabel Robinson.

"Stored items include 225,000 birthday cards, Captain Tom’s clothing, medals, his fitness bike and considerable honours bestowed on him," she said.

Planning permission was refused on the revised project because it "would result in unacceptable harm by virtue of size, design and siting near a listed building, and would lead to an overdevelopment of the site".

"It would result in an unacceptable overbearing impact on adjoining residential occupiers." The applicant was "invited to provide amendments to the application, but didn't agree to this".

The Captain Tom Foundation was formed after his initial fundraising for the NHS Charities, which raised £38.9m. He walked 100 laps of his garden during the first coronavirus lockdown in 2020.

The charity is no longer taking donations or making payments because of an ongoing inquiry into its finances.