Captain Tom's daughter needs to 'get on with bulldozing spa pool', neighbours say, as deadline to demolish complex nears

22 January 2024, 18:50 | Updated: 22 January 2024, 18:52

Neighbours of Captain Tom's daughter have urged the family to 'get on with bulldozing the spa pool' after stressing time was running out for their unauthorised £200,000 complex to be demolished.

Hannah Ingram-Moore and her husband Colin have been given until February 7 to knock down the prohibited building after an inspector ruled the construction was "at odds" with the family's Grade II listed home.

But with two weeks until the deadline, locals from their village Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire, have told the family of the pandemic hero that they "just need to get on with it".

Jason Krysta, 51, whose house backs onto the garden where Captain Sir Tom Moore walked 100 laps during the height of the pandemic, told MailOnline: "They've been told what they need to do and now they just need to get on with it."

"They must be having a laugh, aren't they?," Mr Krysta said. "Saying everybody can go round there and use their spa. What are we all going to do, share a jacuzzi?"

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The neighbour said he hasn't noticed any work taking place yet, but makes sure to keep a look out.

Captain Tom raised almost £39 million for NHS charities during the pandemic, amid the run-up to his 100th birthday.

The war veteran, who became a hero during the height of the virus outbreak, was later knighted by Queen Elizabeth for his charity work. He died in 2021 at the age of 100.

Another neighbour out walking their dog who chose to remain anonymous said they "definitely" want the spa to come down.

They said they had not "heard a good word about her" and said the family were cutting it fine if they are going to meet the deadline with two weeks to go.

Lesley Gough, another neighbour, said a lot of locals had been affected by the construction, concluding: "If you don't play by the rules, you have to be penalised."

She also said she though Ms Ingram-Moore "thinks she is untouchable".

Ms Ingram-Moore and her husband Colin later applied in 2021 for permission to build a 'Captain Tom Building' at their £1.2 million Bedfordshire home.

Central Bedfordshire Council subsequently approved the application for the L-shaped building, but the Moore family filed a retrospective application in 2022 for a larger C-shaped building that would contain a spa.

The council refused the follow-up application and issued an enforcement notice demanding the spa building be knocked down.

The Moore family appealed the ruling and a hearing was held in October. The Planning Inspectorate finalised its decision by rejecting the appeal last month.

They had six weeks to apply for a judicial review, but a spokesperson for the authority told The Independent today that the family had not submitted an appeal.

Ms Ingram-Moore had claimed at a Planning Inspectorate hearing in October that she wanted to use the spa pool at her home to host rehab sessions for local elderly people, as well as coffee mornings.

Stressing it was not for the family's benefit, Ms Ingram-Moore said they would also store cards and gifts from Captain Tom's supporters, as well as an office space.

Locals complained about the structure, leading to a planning inspector visiting the site in March 2022. They reported back that "windows were covered and access to the inside of the building was not possible".

The local council said the C-shaped building, built on a tennis court, was almost twice as big as what had been approved.