BUILD UP
Captain Tom daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore says spa is for ‘rehab sessions for elderly neighbours’ in bid to save complex
CAPTAIN Tom's daughter has insisted the controversial spa complex her family built was for rebab sessions for their elderly neighbours.
A representative for Hannah Ingram-Moore was today speaking as her family appealed the order that could see them forced to rip down their "unauthorised building".
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The hearing comes after Hannah and husband Colin were ordered to tear down the controversial health spa in the ground of their country house.
They had initially received permission from Central Bedfordshire Council to build a small charity office for the Captain Tom Foundation.
Neighbours claimed the family said it would be used to store cards and gifts from the hero's admirers.
But they instead created a poolhouse with changing rooms, toilets and showers to sit alongside their £1.2million home.
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She and her family were this morning seen arriving to appeal the decision at the council chambers.
It was also revealed today the Captain Tom Foundation will be shut down once a probe by the Charity Commission is complete.
Hannah, Colin and their son sat and listened to the proceedings today.
During the hearing chartered surveyor James Paynter, speaking for the family, said the building had "evolved" to include the spa pool.
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He told the council chambers: "It was felt that a larger building could provide this extra space for this extra facility going forward.
"The spa pool has the opportunity to offer rehabilitation sessions for elderly people in the area.
"They want to offer one-to-one sessions, only on a once or twice per week basis.
"They felt this extra limb to create a C-shape was needed to create this facility."
Richard Proctor, Planning Enforcement Team Leader, added: “The Council’s position is that the building is wholly different to the application.”
He added: ";The original building that was approved was because of public good outweighing harm.
“The scheme was for storing the cards. There has been no information given to the council about the use of the spa.";
Parish Council chairman Hugh Roberts claimed public use of the spa was “news to us”, adding: “It’s so unclear as to what the use of the building is for.”
He told The Sun: “Villagers are worried that the family’s attitude is there’s one rule that applies to us and doesn’t apply to them.
“If we build the wrong thing in the garden, we’d be told to demolish it but they feel like they don’t need to.”
Vice chairman Janice Green, 76, claimed the village has two care homes, sheltered accommodation and a church which holds weekly tea afternoons.
She said: “The village is really well served with different halls. We also have two new cafes. There’s plenty of opportunities within the village for people to meet.”
She added afterwards: “The problem is that they had planning permission but what was built wasn’t what they were given permission for.”
'REGRET'
Neighbours also argued the complex was 49% bigger than it was first proposed to be.
One said: "It's very brutal."
The couple first used Captain Tom’s charity name in the design and heritage statement, before applying for retrospective planning permission.
They were then ordered to tear down the spa and pool complex after their planning application was rejected.
Hannah and husband Colin recently spoke of their "regret", as the interior of the complex was revealed for the first time last week.
However, they have appealed the order and it is being heard in the council chambers today.
The council revealed in July that the family had been slapped with an enforcement notice, requiring the demolition of the "now-unauthorised building".
While it could take just a day to hear the appeal, a decision won't be published for at least a month.
'MADE THE WRONG DECISION'
Speaking to TalkTV's Piers Morgan Uncensored at her Bedfordshire home last week, Hannah said: "We have to accept that we made a decision, and it was probably the wrong one."
They are still holding out for the verdict in the faint hope they can still enjoy 50ft by 20ft facility - which they insist they paid for themselves.
During the bombshell interview, which aired on Thursday night, the family also confessed to pocketing money from the £39million NHS fund-raising veteran.
A tearful Hannah revealed they kept £800,000 from the three books her dad had written, adding that he had wanted them to keep the profits.
Husband Colin said: "This was one of the most difficult interviews of my career... the bottom line is they should never have accepted or kept a penny from anything to do with Captain Tom and public money.
“It wasn’t just a clear conflict of interest, and deeply unethical, it was a betrayal of his legacy.”
The family also admitted no one now wants to touch them or their associated companies.
In appeal documents, the family said the spa complex was "no more overbearing" than the approved building.
'NO GROUNDS'
Colin wrote: "The view is virtually identical save for a pitch roof being added to the elevational treatment.
"The heights are the same.
"As such there cannot be an unacceptable overbearing impact."
It also said the council had "no grounds supporting the refusal of the retrospective application" and "requested" for the inspector to uphold the appeal.
The council said its reports "detail harm caused to the setting of the listed building and, in particular, the significant difference between the two schemes that arises from the lack of sufficient public benefit that has been proposed in respect of the unauthorised building".
Sir Tom became a national hero by walking 100 laps of his Bedfordshire garden shortly before his 100th birthday.
He was later knighted by Queen Elizabeth for inspiring the nation.
But Sir Tom sadly later caught Covid and his death was announced on February 2, 2021 — sparking nationwide grief.
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Nearly all the £39million her dad helped raise was paid directly to NHS Charities Together.
The Captain Tom Foundation was set up as a separate charity to receive further donations.
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