The presence of bats roosts in the area could pose further difficulties in securing the conversion work

ACTRESS Maxine Peake is in a row over plans to build a rehearsal space at her country pad – with her neighbour saying she should use the village hall instead.

The Shameless actress wants to convert the barns of her £1m Grade II listed farmhouse into a work space and accommodation for fellow thespians.

Maxine Peake, left, starring in comedy sitcom Dinnerladies
Credit: PA:Press Association
But former landscaper Peter Ramsey, who lives next door in the village is fighting the plans.

He claims the Dinnerladies star’s plans will cause “noise and disturbance” and could be the “first step towards a commercial enterprise”.

Instead he suggested the award winning actress and socialist should use the village hall two miles away saying it is “available to hire for community use at the remarkable rate of £16 per day”.

The plans, submitted by Peake’s Ukrainian production designer partner Pawlo Wintoniuk, also include a pottery studio in one of the barns, seven car parking spaces and six cycling spaces.

Peter, who lives in a 14th Century home opposite, said he is concerned about “loud music” and “noise involved in using an outside kitchen to provide for a large number of actors”.

He has also asked the council to make sure the development has sound proofing and that no outdoor performances or rehearsals take place.

An ecology study found bat roosts present in the barns so the couple will have to obtain a protected species migration licence before work can start.

Maxine, who recently revealed she is taking part in Great British Bake Off’s Stand Up To Cancer special this spring, describes herself as a “leftie luvvie and writer”.

She has been living in the village – which is mentioned in the Domesday Book – for just over a year and has taken part in wassailing events with the local Morris men.

Maxine’s agent was approached for a comment.

She rose to fame playing Twinkle in the sitcom Dinnerladies from 1998 to 2000 on BBC One, starring alongside Celia Imrie and Julie Walters.

I’ve saved £44k by living in an abandoned dairy farm but it’s currently -20C – I keep warm at night with 2 savvy tips
She then appeared as Veronica Ball in Channel 4 comedy drama Shameless from 2004 to 2007.

Also on her long-list of appearances is her role as Martha Costello in the BBC One legal drama Silk that ran from 2011 to 2014 as well as her performance as Grace Middleton in the BBC One drama series The Village from 2013 to 2014.

In 2020, Maxine told of how she was left “in a state of high anxiety for weeks” over her role on the BBC show Talking Heads.

She described this stress ahead of her performance of a monologue first made famous by Patricia Routledge.

Speaking to the Radio Times, Maxine said: “These are classic pieces of writing performed originally by the best in the business.

“I said yes straight away then spent the next few weeks in a state of high anxiety.

“The magnificent Patricia Routledge is unsurpassable and also I’m 20 years younger than when Patricia did it, so I didn’t know if I could convince people I’m a suitable Miss Fozzard.”

The Talking Heads monologues are something Maxine grew up with, and she revealed she used to perform Her Big Chance – read by Jodie Comer in the series – when she auditioned for drama school.

Ellen DeGeneres ‘locked in row with neighbours over fence at her £15million UK home as locals say it could cause FLOODS’

ELLEN DeGeneres is reportedly in a row with neighbours over a fence and extension at her £15m Cotswolds home.

The former chat-show host has alleged been accused of creating a flood risk as well as disturbing Roman ruins.

Ellen, 67, and her wife Portia de Rossi, 52, reportedly made a “technical breach” when they built a single-storey extension to the property, a source told the Daily Mail.

They moved to their stunning Cotswolds farmhouse in November 2024, upon hearing the news that President Trump would be stepping back into The White House.

Whilst the couple have been enjoying their slice of the English countryside, their nesting has ruffled the feathers of their local parish councillors – including Cllr Rosie Pearson.

Rosie, the youngest of the late Viscount Cowdray’s six children, contacted local planning enforcement officers over fears that Ellen’s building work would “increase flood risk in the village”.

Maxine Peake rose to fame for her role in Dinnerladies in the late 1990s
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