Hannah Ingram-Moore, the daughter of the late Captain Sir Tom Moore, has lost her appeal to prevent the demolition of an unauthorised spa at her home in Bedfordshire. The national Planning Inspectorate upheld the initial demolition order issued by Central Bedfordshire Council.
Ingram-Moore and her husband, Colin, had hoped to preserve the spa, arguing that it would serve as a venue for public engagement with Captain Tom’s legacy and host charitable activities. Despite these intentions, the Planning Inspectorate ruled that the spa’s scale was incompatible with the couple’s grade II listed home.
The inspector appreciated the family’s aim to share Captain Tom’s story and to offer the spa for community benefits like elderly rehabilitation. However, she noted a lack of detailed plans on how these public services would be managed, leading to the conclusion that the potential benefits did not justify the harm to the heritage asset.
The family has now been given a three-month period to comply with the existing demolition order.
The dispute began after a Captain Tom Foundation Building was approved for construction in 2021. However, a larger, unauthorised building featuring a spa pool emerged instead, leading to the council’s refusal and subsequent enforcement notice for demolition in March 2023.
Despite arguments that the spa was unobtrusive and consistent with previous approvals, the Planning Inspectorate found its design excessively large and out of step with the historical setting of the main property. The inspector, Diane Fleming, also noted the absence of adverse effects on the broader neighbourhood due to its concealed location.
This ruling comes as the Captain Tom Foundation, established to honor Sir Tom’s fundraising efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, faces a separate investigation by the Charity Commission. Sir Tom, who raised millions for NHS charities, passed away in January 2021 at 100 after a battle with pneumonia and COVID-19.
