American Actor Kelsey Grammer plans to demolish 200-year-old UK cottage infuriating residents

American TV star Kelsey Grammer is facing a backlash from neighbours after he was granted permission to demolish his 200-year-old Somerset cottage. The actor, known to millions around the world through his portrayal of sitcom legend, Frasier, previously revealed how he had purchased a cottage near Portishead in order to have a home near his wife Kayte's family.

The purchase came after the pair met on a trans-Atlantic flight, when Kayte was working as an air stewardess. They married in 2011 and revealed their Somerset purchase in a 2023 interview, when Grammer announced they had bought a "little place" to Kayte's Bristolian family.

He said they were planning for work to take place on the property, and were "pretty excited". However, neighbours were then left shocked when the star - who also appeared in classic Boston bar comedy Cheers - submitted plans to knock down the property.

He has now been told he needs 'no prior approval' to demolish the property, a scheme which came after a previous application to extend the home was refused. But the scheme has infuriated his Somerset neighbours, with eight letters of objection lodged in response to the planning application, submitted to North Somerset Council.

Concerns voiced by residents included a loss of historic value, no justification for the demolition, damage to rural nature, loss of greenspace and objections to future modern designs. One objector wrote: “We do not wish to stand in the way of this wonderful, historic cottage being modernised and future-proofed, made bigger and/or more suitable to modern living.

“We did not object to, or comment on, the previous planning application, despite the enormous scale of the proposed works. However, the possibility of this cottage which is at least 185 years old, being razed to the ground, is not acceptable. We would implore the local authority to ensure that this is not allowed to happen.”

Another said: “I am concerned to see that the proposal to demolish a character cottage built in the vernacular style, sited prominently on the coast road is being considered. The development of any site along this stretch of road will damage the rural nature of this area and contribute to suburban spread. It will set a precedent for further development along this area’s important coastline.”

However, despite the opposition, council planners confirmed no prior approval was needed and the demolition could be carried out, with a deadline on the permission set to expire in February 2030.

The cottage is understood to be one of the few properties visible on the 1840 tithe maps along the coast road from Portishead to Clevedon and was originally surrounded by the thick heathland. Walton-in-Gordano Parish Council was among those objecting to the plan, and described the cottage as an "icon" "that clearly invites sensitive and proportionate updating to make it into a modest – rather than a palatial – modern home".

"Walton-in-Gordano Parish Council feels that the detailed reasons behind the (previous) refusal carry as much weight in relation to the current application and trust that the proposed vandalism of (the cottage) can be disallowed by as robust a refusal decision," the authority added.

The approval, under 'permitted development' rules, is decided by law, and not the local authority. North Somerset Council officers simply judge applications against the current planning legislation. A council spokesperson 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."