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3 months ago
22
Paul O'Grady's former neighbours have blasted his widower's plans for a holiday let at his £3m home and claim it is not what the beloved TV star 'would have wanted'.
Plans to transform a security office at the rural estate in the village of Aldington, near Ashford, Kent, have been lodged with planning officials.
They have been submitted by Paul's husband Andre Portasio, a former dancer who was set to inherit most of his £8.6m fortune.
It comes after Mr Portasio's bid to turn the same building into a home three times the size were rejected by Ashford Borough Council last month.
Furious locals say he has not spent a 'great deal' of time at the mansion after the Liverpudlian's death in March last year, aged 67.
One told MailOnline: 'It's going to be bad for villagers because the extra traffic will be a nightmare.
'I think it cheapens the whole area. Why doesn't Andre just sell it?'
Paul O'Grady (pictured, with widower Andre Portasio) was reported to have left £15.5m in his will, including half-a-million pounds to Battersea Dogs and Cats Home
Pictured: How the security offices on Mr O'Grady's estate currently look. He bought the land in Aldington in August 1999 for £650k
Pictured: An aerial view of Mr O'Grady's country home and grounds in rural Aldington in Kent
Two official objections have been lodged with planning bosses already.
One local told Mail Online: 'It's a really bad idea. I just think it turns the place into a tourist attraction.
'If he wants to turn it into a holiday let then he clearly has no plans to be spending much time there.
'He hasn't been around much since Paul died.'
They said they were concerned that other parts of Kent - including Broadstairs - had seen a sharp rise in holiday lets which locals had complained about.
He added: 'The last thing we want is a domino impact where everyone starts to get the same idea and then the area changes forever.
'I do not think Paul would want something like that at the home he loved so much.'
Fred Jaeger, 77, who has lived opposite the property for 40 years, said he also did not agree.
He said: 'I don't think it is compatible with the area.
'I have been advised it goes against regulations and will not be allowed.
'I worry about any increase in traffic as a result. It's already a dangerous road with a lot of speeding. I cannot see how more cars would make it better.
'My reasons for opposing it are selfish, I admit. I do not want more things here, I would prefer fewer things, like traffic and people.'
He said O'Grady had been an 'excellent neighbour'.
He added: 'He was a lovely man. I saw a lot of him.
'I cannot tell you what he would make of this application.
'But he loved the area. He spent a lot of time at the house and had a lot of good times.
'He was very genuine.'
Fred Jaeger, 77, who has lived opposite the property for 40 years, said he did not agree with the plans
The main house on the site has six bedrooms, a swimming pool and 52 acres, as well as a further four acres of woodland
Furious villagers have vowed to fight plans for a holiday let at Paul O'Grady 's former £3 million home (Pictured)
Another local said: 'I say good luck to Andre. I hope it works for him and he gets the permission he needs.
'It's a stunning property. It has amazing views.
'Paul and Andre were great neighbours. Paul used to visit a lot and ask how our family was.
'A holiday let would not impact any of us in the slightest. I cannot understand why people would be bothered by it.
'It's a stunning property and he wants to share that with others.
'It seems like a good idea to me.'
Commenting on the council's online planning portal, Peter Ashenden wrote: 'A holiday let would introduce a constant stream of visiting drivers unfamiliar with the property's awkward access.
'There are many near-misses at this point, and it is certainly not a good place for unwary pedestrians, or for cars nosing out at the wrong moment.'
Sheila Garrard has also objected to the plans and described them as 'inappropriate'.
She wrote: 'If this proposal is permitted, it would signal that persistence can pay off for inappropriate developments in the countryside.
'The proposal envisages bringing the full-height, full frontal, south-facing glazing forward from under the existing overhang.
'At night, massive light spillage from the building, where it stands up on the ridge, will quite possibly be seen from down on Romney Marsh and will radiate up into the sky.
'I fear that, were this application to be permitted, we would in the future be seeing a further change of use request, to (permanent) residential, on the ground that the holiday let was not commercially viable.'
Aldington and Bonnington Parish Council has also objected to the scheme. They claim it does not enhance the character and tranquility of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. .
If approved, it would be turned into a one-bed holiday let featuring an en-suite.
But when the previous plans were being considered, consultants working on behalf of Mr Portasio said how the 'best and most suitable use' of the lodge was as a residential space.
They advised against a retail or office unit due to the remote location and had initially ruled out the holiday let idea due to the 'abundance of accommodation' in the area
A decision on the latest plans is expected to be made by the authority by the end of August.
Mr Portasio was approached for comment.
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