Captain Tom daughter: who is Hannah Ingram-Moore - why is home spa and pool being demolished?

Local authorities have ordered an unauthorised building at the home of Captain Tom's daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore to be demolished. The rejected plans include a spa and pool, as well as a seven-bedroom property.

Along with husband Colin, Hannah applied for permission to build the Captain Tom Foundation Building in 2021. It was to be constructed in the grounds of their Marston Moretaine home in Bedfordshire.

The large building in the shape of a C was initially given the green light after a Design and Access Heritage Statement deemed it to be used partly "in connection with The Captain Tom Foundation and its charitable objectives" in 2021. Then a retrospective plan - which involved a spa pool - was issued and subsequently rejected a year later which means it has been given a demolition order.

The news comes shortly after it has been confirmed that The Captain Tom Foundation is no longer taking donations or making payments due to an ongoing inquiry into its finances.

Captain Tom famously tugged at the heartstrings of the nation during the Covid-19 pandemic when he commemorated his 100th birthday by doing 100 laps of his Bedfordshire home and went on to raise almost £40 million for charity leading to a knighthood. He then died in February 2021 at Bedford Hospital following a battle with coronavirus.

Who is Hannah Ingram-Moore?

Hannah Ingram-Moore is an executive life coach, author, podcaster and motivational speaker who is most well-known for being the founder of the Maytrix Group. She is one of two daughters of Captain Tom and Pam Moore.

She worked as a trustee for The Captain Moore Foundation - a charity set up in her father's name - between 1 February to 12 March 2021. It was reported that the charity had requested the regulator for her to be paid a wage of £60,000 to hire her for three days a week.

Now Ingram-Moore is married to husband Colin whom they share two children called Benjamin and Georgia Ingram-Moore.

Why has Hannah Ingram-Moore's home spa and pool been ordered to be demolished?

Central Bedfordshire Council received and approved a planning application in August 2021 for the erection of a 'detached single-storey building' by the occupiers of the home of the Ingram-Moores and the Captain Tom Foundation. Then in 2022 planning officials received a retrospective plan for a 'part retrospective erection of detached single-storey building (revised proposals)" which included a home spa pool that was rejected.

The existing building, which was set up in the name of The Captain Tom Foundation, has now been ordered to be demolished. But it is understood that an appeal has been made to the decision.

A spokesperson for Central Bedfordshire Council said in a statement: "An enforcement notice requiring the demolition of the now-unauthorised building was issued and this is now subject to an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate."

The Captain Tom Foundation said in a statement: "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."

Why is The Captain Tom Foundation charity no longer accepting donations or payments?

The Captain Tom Foundation has confirmed that it will no longer accept any donations or make payments while the Charity Commission carry out an inquiry. The regulators first launched the investigation in June last year over concerns for the way the charity was being run as fresh evidence emerges showing potentially serious misconduct.

In a statement from the foundation, a spokesperson said: "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 while 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 inquiry.”