Paul O’Grady‘s widower has won a bitter battle with neighbours over his bid to turn part of the beloved TV star’s £3 million Kent estate into a holiday let, MailOnline can reveal.
Former professional dancer Andre Portasio – who inherited the property when his husband died last March aged 67 – sparked objections from locals over the plans.
They involved the former ballet dancer’s plans for the conversion of an existing groundkeeper’s house on the grounds into a cottage to be rented to tourists.
Some neighbours had accused Mr Portasio of effectively building a new home ‘by the back door’ and said there was no need for more holiday lets in the area.
They also cited fears of road accidents with a ‘constant stream of visiting car drivers unfamiliar with the property’s awkward access’ – and some even suggested that O’Grady himself would not have approved.
But it has now emerged that other neighbours had written in support of the proposal.
Former professional dancer Andre Portasio (right) – who inherited the property when his husband Paul O’Grady (left) died last March aged 67 – sparked objections from locals over the plans
The plans centre on turning the existing security hut (pictured) into a holiday let for tourists
Portasio applied for a ‘change of use’ of the lodge which has an office, kitchen and shower, and lies next to the family pet cemetery
And officials at the local council have now given the scheme the green light.
Planning officer Sally Hodgson said: ‘Central government guidance supports sustainable business, enterprise and tourism in rural areas, both through the conversion of existing buildings and well-designed new buildings.
‘This is endorsed by the Local Plan which seeks to encourage the sustainable growth of tourism.’
O’Grady had initially been given the go-ahead four years ago for a groundskeeper’s outbuilding, gym and dance studio at his rural estate, which already boasts an outdoor swimming pool, orchard of fruit trees and a summerhouse.
But following his death last year, his Brazilian ballet dancer husband tried to turn that outbuilding into a separate two-bedroom house after the estate near Ashford was bequeathed to him.
Portasio applied for a ‘change of use’ of the lodge which has an office, kitchen and shower, and lies next to the family pet cemetery.
He was refused planning permission but then applied to turn it into a holiday let, sparking further objections from neighbours.
In a letter to the council, Sheila Garrard wrote: ‘If this proposal is permitted, it would signal that persistence can pay off for inappropriate developments in the countryside.
Some neighbours had accused Mr Portasio of effectively building a new home and even suggested Paul would not have approved
Pictured: An aerial view of Mr O’Grady’s country home and grounds in rural Aldington in Kent
‘It would demonstrate that the tactic of building a non-residential property with the intention of subsequently converting it for residential use can be successful.
‘The applicant does not state why the groundkeeper’s outbuilding is now redundant. The grounds are as big as ever, and I imagine that groundsmen are still employed to maintain them.
‘If they needed an outbuilding before it has not been made clear why they don’t still do so.’
Mrs Garrard said she had searched on Airbnb for one-bedroom accommodation in the area during the peak holiday season in August and found availability at six locations within five miles.
‘This leads me to 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 grounds that the holiday let was not commercially viable.’
Another neighbour, Peter Ashenden added: ‘The applicant has explained to me that he intends to sell the whole house property but to segregate and retain the proposed new dwelling for his own future use.
‘Obviously, if this were to happen, the proposed dwelling would no longer be ancillary to the main house.
‘This new application now for a holiday let… would suggest itself to be a further attempt to eventually establish a separate dwelling.
Furious villagers had vowed to fight plans for a holiday let at Paul O’Grady’s former £3 million home (Pictured)
The main house on the site has six bedrooms, a swimming pool and 52 acres, as well as a further four acres of woodland
‘A holiday let would introduce a constant stream of visiting car 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.’
Officials at Ashford Council gave the go-ahead for the holiday let despite objections from neighbours and the local parish council.
In her ruling, planning officer Sally Hodgson added: ‘The use of the building as a holiday let can be carried out without any major external changes to the building other than changes to fenestration to infill the overhang to create some amount of glazing.
‘The nature and use of the site as a whole will not significantly change as a result of the proposal and, as such, the building continues to maintain its appearance as a modest outbuilding within the curtilage of the host dwelling.
‘Due to the close proximity of the building to the main dwelling, this is an appropriate location for a holiday let.
‘With the above in mind, it is therefore considered that the principle of the proposed holiday let accommodation is acceptable.’
O’Grady had been born and grew up on the Wirral in Merseyside but had always wanted to live in the countryside and splashed out on the Kent estate after finding TV success in the early 2000s.
He began dating Mr Portasio in 2006 and they married 11 years later, living at the farm together.
As well as his five dogs., named Nancy, Arfur, Conchita, Eddie and Sausage, he also used the small holding to house a menagerie of other animals including goats, sheep, ducks chickens, owls and alpacas.
Soon after Paul’s death last year Dame Barbara Windsor’s widower Scott told a story about a stay with O’Grady on the Aldington farm.
He said he had heard a clip clop sound which he at first thought could be Barbara’s heels on the kitchen tiles.
Instead, he said: ‘A little lamb walked in, he was rearing a little lamb… Paul had it in the house, feeding it with a baby’s bottle, and I just remember sitting there thinking this is just amazing.’
