Cheers for nothing! Kelsey Grammer's plan to bulldoze his 200-year-old British cottage will 'spoil idyllic village' where locals are being priced out by rich incomers, angry neighbours fume

Actor Kelsey Grammer's neighbours person deed retired astatine planners for approving his plans to bulldoze a cottage successful an idyllic English village, saying the demolition volition 'spoil' the country and 'attract crime'.

Locals accidental the Cheers star's task for his seaside location is an illustration of 'the 'rich and celebrated doing what they want', and assertion they are being priced retired of their section area.

Grammer, 70, and his woman Kayte Walsh, 46, had earlier failed successful a bid to physique an hold but has present been told 'no anterior approval' is needed to get escaped of the cottage successful a colony adjacent Portishead successful Somerset.

Speaking successful 2023, the prima revealed the mates had bought a 'little place' successful Portishead to beryllium person to his wife's Bristolian family.

In an interrogation astatine the time, helium said they were going to beryllium 'working connected it' and wouldn't instrumentality up residence determination for a portion but were 'pretty excited.'

But immoderate locals accidental the affluent person priced section radical retired of the assemblage - and are unhappy with Grammer's plans.

Wendy Osment, 74, who lives nearby, said: 'I deliberation it's specified a shame due to the fact that it's a beauteous gathering with character, it's aged and it's portion of the community.

'People person already taken a mates of the aged cottages down.

'I've lived present each my life. I've got grandchildren and they can't adjacent spend to unrecorded here.

'The section children can't spend to unrecorded present due to the fact that of each these affluent radical coming here. They've knocked down each the cottages and built large large houses and it's conscionable spoiling the character.

'They privation to bargain these aged properties with quality due to the fact that they've got the wealth but they conscionable privation to sound them down.

'They deliberation they're affluent and celebrated and they tin conscionable bash what they want. I don't adjacent cognize who helium is.

'I've been present 74 years and erstwhile it was a colony it was conscionable truthful lovely, the community. You could spell retired and permission doors and windows open.

'But now, determination is truthful overmuch transgression coming into Portishead due to the fact that determination is much wealth here.

'When it was conscionable a village, everybody was elemental people, but now, it's each these large buildings, a spot of wealth everyplace and I deliberation it's bringing crime.'

Andy Norrie, 62, who owns a caravan vacation parkland adjacent the cottage, said: 'I don't hold with it.

'It's not in-keeping nor successful contented with the village, knocking down an aged gathering similar that to enactment thing modern up.'

But Barbara Trickett, 77, said: 'It's conscionable progress. If they sound it down and physique thing sympathetic to the area, woods, wildlife, estuary and the lane - not immoderate ultra-modern location - I wouldn't person immoderate objections.

'Obviously there's going to beryllium disruption but if they got progressive and said: "This is going to beryllium happening", it would beryllium each right.

'We person a large assemblage present - we person a colony hall, colony religion tally by the villagers and dozens of activities successful the hall.'

Susan Smart, 76, who lives successful a residential caravan parkland successful Walton Bay, said: 'For america here, it would not fuss america that much, I conscionable anticipation it's in-keeping with the different houses that person been done. Three properties person been knocked down implicit the past year.

'I would similar it to enactment similar that but unluckily I deliberation successful this clime radical person got the money, they bargain houses and bash things you're lone capable to bash if you've got the wealth to wage for it.

'A precedent has been acceptable with the 3 houses already modified. Once you person fto 1 idiosyncratic bash it, it opens up for the rest.'

Pete Wilcox, a 59-year-old upholsterer surviving nearby, said: 'He applied for an hold and they said nary but present they person said yes to knocking it down.

'From the council's constituent of view, it doesn't marque sense. It seems a spot utmost aft they said nary to the extension.

'It doesn't fuss america particularly. They person conscionable built 2 modern-looking places, including an eco house, I think. It cannot beryllium retired of spot if they've allowed those.'

He besides feared it could acceptable a precedent for the bare tract to the close of the property.

'It's the past one, past you spell into the greenish belt. This is meant to beryllium greenish loop - if they let that, volition they let others?

'It's a shame they're going to sound it down but that's life.'

The actor's plans person infuriated neighbours with 8 letters of objection submitted published connected the North Somerset Council readying portal with nary successful support.

Concerns included nonaccomplishment of historical worth being lost, nary justification for demolition, harm to agrarian nature, nonaccomplishment of greenspace and objections to aboriginal modern designs.

But successful a precocious published determination notice, assembly planners confirmed nary anterior support was needed and the demolition could beryllium carried out.

Conditions attached to the support included that enactment indispensable beryllium carried retired earlier 12 February 2030.

The section Parish Council besides objected and described the cottage arsenic a 'historic icon' on a agelong of coastal roadworthy 'that intelligibly invites delicate and proportionate updating to marque it into a humble - alternatively than a palatial - modern home.'

North Somerset Council's relation was to find whether 'prior approval' was required, oregon should beryllium granted, for definite aspects of the 'permitted development'.

The assembly said: 'The projected demolition is improbable to person a important interaction upon section amenity and it is concluded, therefore, that anterior support is not required with regards to the method of demolition and the restoration of the site.'

The cottage and its outbuildings day backmost to the station medieval play and is 1 of the oldest houses successful the area.

It lies adjacent a scheduled past monument - a hillfort, saucer barrow, banjo enclosure (both so-named due to the fact that of their shape) and earthworks dating backmost to the Iron Age.

Grammer and his woman Kayte met connected a transatlantic formation wherever she was moving arsenic an aerial stewardess, and they were joined successful 2011.

Last year, they sought support to demolish each the assorted extensions connected 3 sides of the historical cottage, which were mostly built successful the 1980s, and physique a ample caller hold that was up to doubly the size of the archetypal building, arsenic good arsenic enactment successful a caller basement.

That was turned down by planners who said it would 'result successful a ample and disproportionate enlargement of the dwelling', and would 'harm the openness of the Green Belt'.