Paul O'Grady's widower WINS bitter battle with neighbours to turn late TV star's £3million home into holiday let after claims it would 'cheapen' rural Kent village

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.

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.'

Paul O'Grady