THE Captain Tom Foundation will be shut down when a probe by the Charity Commission is over, a court heard today.
An investigation was launched amid claims the NHS hero’s daughter used his name to build a spa and pool complex in her garden.
Hannah Ingram-Moore was this morning seen arriving at court
Captain Tom captured the nation’s hearts during the pandemic
A planning hearing is taking place today at Central Bedfordshire Council’s offices to determine whether the building should be torn down.
Barrister Scott Stemp, for Captain Tom’s family, confirmed the charity will be closed following the fury.
He said: “There isn’t… it’s no news to anybody that the Captain Tom Foundation will be closed down following the Charity Commission investigation.”
Hannah Ingram-Moore and her family are currently fighting to overturn a council decision to rip the “unauthorised” spa building down.
They had initially received permission from Central Bedfordshire Council to build a small charity office for the Captain Tom Foundation.
They instead created a poolhouse with changing rooms, toilets and showers to sit alongside their £1.2million home.
During today’s hearing, chartered surveyor James Paynter, speaking for the family, said the building had “evolved” to include the spa pool.
He suggested it could be used for “rehabilitation sessions for elderly people in the area”.
But Richard Proctor, Planning Enforcement Team Leader, said: “The Council’s position is that the building is wholly different to the application.”
Plans for the L-shaped building at the seven-bed mansion in Marston Moretaine were given the green light in 2021.
Hannah and husband Colin had applied in their own names for planning — but used the foundation’s name in the design and access and heritage statement.
The statement claimed the building was to be used partly “in connection with The Captain Tom Foundation and its charitable objectives”.
A subsequent 2022 retrospective application – which is sought after something has already been built – to extend the originally approved building to form a C-shape, containing a spa pool, was refused by the planning authority.
The structure was referred to as The Captain Tom Building and described as “a new building for use by the occupiers”, aka Hannah and Colin.
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 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.
Piers said of the explosive chat: “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.
A decision on the building’s future will not be heard for at least a month.
The hearing continues.
Talk TV.Hannah and her husband applied in their own names for planning — but used the foundation’s name in the design and access and heritage statement[/caption]
They are appealing against a decision to tear it down Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
