Delighted neighbours today said they were relieved that Captain Tom’s daughter’s unauthorised luxury spa is finally coming down – calling it a ‘humiliation’ for her.
The demolition of the £200,000 spa complex at the home of Hannah Ingram-Moore and her husband Colin begun this morning, with workers seen at the site removing roof tiles at one end of the C-shaped building.
Two workmen were also seen inside the structure, preparing to extract the pool. Earlier a workman said the pool will be removed before the building is knocked down on Monday.
Villagers, who have described it as a ‘long drawn-out saga’ and say Hannah ‘thought she was going to get away with it,’ are pleased the so-called ‘eyesore’ is on its way out.
Sue Martindale, 60, said: ‘They live in a big house and they thought they could get away with it. The deserve what they have got.’
Demolition and dismantling experts C. Jackson and Sons of Bedford appear to have been employed to do the work. Their van has been parked up outside the property in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire.
Neighbour Jilly Bozdogan, 70, said this morning: ‘The tiles are coming off fast and furious. I am glad they are finally getting on with it. It has been a long drawn-out saga.
‘My garden backs onto it and it is an eyesore. I have had to plant trees to try to block it out.’
Neighbour Richard Gough, 68, said he heard one of the workmen throwing the tiles down from the roof first thing this morning. Though he said: ‘They are not really making much noise. They just seem to be getting on with it.’
His wife Lesley, 67, added: ‘It was not nice for the people who live next to the building. There were trees there before and a tennis court.
‘It is a shame they let it go on for so long. I think they thought they could get away with it.
‘Captain Tom was so popular. His legacy has got lost. He did all those good things and people aren’t talking about that anymore.’
A woman, whose home is overlooked by the spa, said she is relieved they are getting on with it – pointing out that there is only a week to go before it has to come down.
She said the workers are not currently making any noise, but that it might be different if they ‘start smashing the walls down’.
‘It is a humiliation for Hannah,’ she said. ‘I think she thought she could get away with it. I wonder if they will move when it is all over.’
One woman, who did not want to be named, said: ‘They caused problems when they built it and more now it’s coming down.
‘When it went up they put in some gates at the back of their garden and drove lorries over the raised kerb. It was difficult to get the vehicles in because it is a small road with cars parked on it.
‘Now they are pulling it down it caused the same trouble. The scaffolding lorry had to do all sorts of manoeuvres to get in.’
One resident said: ‘It looks like they are doing a ‘soft strip’, by trying to save everything they possibly can to sell on.’
Another said it was not a nice sight and that she is glad it is going. ‘It is a shame because of all the good he has done – they have tarnished it. It is not a good look for the village.’
The family lost an appeal against Central Bedfordshire Council to keep their spa complex after a planning inspector ruled it was ‘at odds’ with their Grade ll listed home. Ms Ingram-Moore and her husband have until next Wednesday’s deadline to remove the block.
The couple had been given permission to make a Captain Tom Foundation Building in their garden to store cards and gifts sent by admirers, but they added a sauna and spa, which were not part of the original plans.
Central Bedfordshire Council issued an enforcement notice last July to demolish the ‘unauthorised building’ and their appeal was dismissed last November.
Inspector Diane Fleming ruled in November that the spa block must be demolished within three months, by February 7, and Central Bedfordshire Council said it would be ‘reviewing the onsite position’ the following day, on February 8.
The deadline for the appeal decision to be challenged in the High Court passed without a claim being issued.
Scaffolding was erected around the £200,00 complex on Tuesday morning for demolition work to begin.
Onlookers said new scaffolding could be seen covering the whole structure in the grounds of Ms Ingram-Moore’s £1.2m mansion. Scaffolders, in orange hi-vis jackets, could be seen moving metal poles around.
And last week two men and women were seen emptying out the spa with boxes full of photos and prints.
A neighbour walking her dog, who wished to remain anonymous, earlier said: ‘I definitely want that spa down… She is cutting it a bit fine with only two weeks to go.’
Lesley Gough, 67, also previously said: ‘A lot of people are affected by it. It ruins their view. There is no sign of demolition as of yet. Hannah didn’t get the proper permission so, if you don’t play by the rules, you have to be penalised.
‘I don’t know what will happen if she doesn’t get it removed by the date she’s been given. I wonder if she has got another plan in mind.
‘I think she thinks she is untouchable.’
Another local resident, who also wanted to remain anonymous, added: ‘I hope they make her take it down.
‘She knew she had not got permission. I had to jump through hoops when I wanted to get something built.’
Sir Thomas Moore, popularly known as Captain Tom, was a British Army officer and fundraiser.
He made headlines in April 2020 when he raised an astonishing £39m for the NHS in the run-up to his 100th birthday by walking laps of his garden.
He died in February 2021 just short of his 101st birthday.
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
