A Hollywood star’s neighbours have hit out at planners for approving his plans to bulldoze a cottage in an idyllic English village, saying the demolition will ‘spoil’ the area and ‘attract crime’.

Locals say the Cheers star’s project for his seaside house is an example of ‘the ‘rich and famous doing what they want’, and claim they are being priced out of their local area.

Kelsey Grammer, 70, and his wife Kayte Walsh, 46, had earlier failed in a bid to build an extension but has now been told ‘no prior approval’ is needed to get rid of the cottage in a village near Portishead in Somerset.

Speaking in 2023, the star revealed the couple had bought a ‘little place’ in Portishead to be closer to his wife’s Bristolian family.

In an interview at the time, he said they were going to be ‘working on it’ and wouldn’t take up residence there for a while but were ‘pretty excited.’

But some locals say the wealthy have priced local people out of the community – and are unhappy with Grammer’s plans.

Wendy Osment, 74, who lives nearby, said: ‘I think it’s such a shame because it’s a beautiful building with character, it’s old and it’s part of the community.

‘People have already taken a couple of the old cottages down.

The 200-year-old cottage lies near a scheduled ancient monument – a hillfort, saucer barrow, banjo enclosure (both so-named because of their shape) and earthworks dating back to the Iron Age

Speaking in 2023, the star revealed the couple had bought a ‘little place’ in Portishead to be closer to his wife’s Bristolian family

Kelsey Grammer, 70, and his wife Kayte Walsh, 46, had earlier failed in a bid to build an extension but has now been told ‘no prior approval’ is needed to get rid of the cottage in a village near Portishead in Somerset 

‘I’ve lived here all my life. I’ve got grandchildren and they can’t even afford to live here.

‘The local children can’t afford to live here because of all these rich people coming here. They’ve knocked down all the cottages and built great big houses and it’s just spoiling the character.

‘They want to buy these old properties with character because they’ve got the money but they just want to knock them down.

‘They think they’re rich and famous and they can just do what they want. I don’t even know who he is.

‘I’ve been here 74 years and when it was a village it was just so lovely, the community. You could go out and leave doors and windows open.

‘But now, there is so much crime coming into Portishead because there is more money here.

‘When it was just a village, everybody was simple people, but now, it’s all these big buildings, a bit of money everywhere and I think it’s bringing crime.’

Andy Norrie, 62, who owns a caravan holiday park near the cottage, said: ‘I don’t agree with it.

Wendy Osment, 74, who lives nearby, said local children can’t afford to live in the Portishead areas anymore due to an influx of the rich and famous

Pete Wilcox, a 59-year-old upholsterer is concerned what might happen to the greenbelt land next to Grammer’s property

A demolition notice has now been put up outside the property, which the couple bought to be closer to Kayte’s family in Bristol 

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Kelsey Grammer sparks huge neighbour war with plans to demolish 200-year-old Somerset cottage

‘It’s not in-keeping nor in tradition with the village, knocking down an old building like that to put something modern up.’

But Barbara Trickett, 77, said: ‘It’s just progress. If they knock it down and build something sympathetic to the area, woods, wildlife, estuary and the lane – not some ultra-modern house – I wouldn’t have any objections.

‘Obviously there’s going to be disruption but if they got involved and said: “This is going to be happening”, it would be all right.

‘We have a great community here – we have a village hall, village church run by the villagers and dozens of activities in the hall.’

Susan Smart, 76, who lives in a residential caravan park in Walton Bay, said: ‘For us here, it would not bother us that much, I just hope it’s in-keeping with the other houses that have been done. Three properties have been knocked down over the past year.

‘I would like it to stay like that but unfortunately I think in this climate people have got the money, they buy houses and do things you’re only able to do if you’ve got the money to pay for it.

‘A precedent has been set with the three houses already modified. Once you have let one person do it, it opens up for the rest.’

Pete Wilcox, a 59-year-old upholsterer living nearby, said: ‘He applied for an extension and they said no but now they have said yes to knocking it down.

Andy Norrie, 62, who owns a caravan holiday park near the cottage, said plans to demolish the cottage would not be ‘in-keeping’ with the rest of the village

Susan Smart, 76, said the council has set a precedent by allowing three other houses in the area to be demolished

The traditional cottage, with a conservatory, is situated in the beautiful Somerset countryside

The house looks out onto green belt land, with locals concerned any new development will stand out from the other traditional houses

‘From the council’s point of view, it doesn’t make sense. It seems a bit extreme after they said no to the extension.

‘It doesn’t bother us particularly. They have just built two modern-looking places, including an eco house, I think. It cannot be out of place if they’ve allowed those.’

He also feared it could set a precedent for the empty field to the right of the property.

‘It’s the last one, then you go into the green belt. This is meant to be green belt – if they allow that, will they allow others?

‘It’s a shame they’re going to knock it down but that’s life.’

The actor’s plans have infuriated neighbours with eight letters of objection submitted published on the North Somerset Council planning portal with none in support.

Concerns included loss of historic value being lost, no justification for demolition, damage to rural nature, loss of greenspace and objections to future modern designs.

But in a recently published decision notice, council planners confirmed no prior approval was needed and the demolition could be carried out.

Last year’s application stated that he wanted to tear down a garage and car port and build a new basement gym, games room, guest bedroom and cellar (sitting room pictured) 

Grammer previously wanted to turn the £1million two-bed period cottage (main bedroom picture) into a more luxury modern four-bedroom home with a new kitchen diner, snug and study

The cottage (dining room pictured) is one of the oldest in the area

Conditions attached to the approval included that work must be carried out before 12 February 2030.

The local Parish Council also objected and described the cottage as a ‘historic icon’ along a stretch of coastal road ‘that clearly invites sensitive and proportionate updating to make it into a modest – rather than a palatial – modern home.’

North Somerset Council’s role was to determine whether ‘prior approval’ was required, or should be granted, for certain aspects of the ‘permitted development’.

The council said: ‘The proposed demolition is unlikely to have a significant impact upon local amenity and it is concluded, therefore, that prior approval is not required with regards to the method of demolition and the restoration of the site.’

The cottage and its outbuildings date back to the post medieval period and is one of the oldest houses in the area.

It lies near a scheduled ancient monument – a hillfort, saucer barrow, banjo enclosure (both so-named because of their shape) and earthworks dating back to the Iron Age.

Grammer and his wife Kayte met on a transatlantic flight where she was working as an air stewardess, and they were married in 2011.

Last year, they sought permission to demolish all the various extensions on three sides of the historic cottage, which were largely built in the 1980s, and build a large new extension that was up to twice the size of the original building, as well as put in a new basement.

That was turned down by planners who said it would ‘result in a large and disproportionate enlargement of the dwelling’, and would ‘harm the openness of the Green Belt’.