Aerial photos show the black steel bench in the empty grounds of the property in the village of Marston Moretaine in Bedfordshire after the controversial spa was demolished. Workmen have been clearing away the bricks, tiles and debris this week after Hannah Ingram-Moore and her husband, Colin were told to bulldoze the property by Central Bedfordshire Council and return the land to its original state.
The rubble has now been taken away and the bench, which was made by Lincolnshire businessman Chris Kennedy at his fabrication firm, Roll and Scroll, and presented to Captain Tom on his 100th birthday, is all that is left standing.
Central Bedfordshire Council said it welcomed the complete demolition of the unauthorised spa building and said it highlights the importance of getting proper permissions before starting a new build. 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.
Mr and Mrs Ingram-Moore 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. They were given three months to remove the sauna and spa.
Captain Tom rose to fame after he raised almost £39 million for NHS charities by walking around his garden 100 times using a walking frame during the first Covid lockdown in the spring of 2020. He was later knighted by the Queen and died in February 2021.
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