Get daily celeb exclusives and behind the scenes house tours direct to your inbox We have more newsletters Get daily celeb exclusives and behind the scenes house tours direct to your inbox We have more newsletters The Great British Bake Off judge Paul Hollywood has labelled the criticism of his wife and her family as "unforgivable" after they were given the green light to convert their Kent pub into a home. Melissa Hollywood , who is married to the TV personality , reportedly revealed that her family plans to shut down the Grade-II listed Chequers Inn in Smarden at the end of August due to dwindling trade. She has reportedly faced backlash after being granted permission by Ashford Borough Council's planning committee to transform the 600 year old property into a residence.
The application, lodged in January, was met with resistance from locals and Smarden Parish Council who were concerned that the loss of the pub, which is at the "heart of the village", would "conflict with the aims of promoting the economy", according to planning documents. "The vindictiveness from the locals towards the family who have been here 18 years is unforgivable," Paul told BBC South East. After the council planning meeting, Paul stated that his wife's family had intended to sell the pub as a business but had only received unrealistic offers.
"If the villagers themselves want to get their act together and put a bid in and buy it, that's fine," he said. "At the end of the month it's earmarked to close because they cannot sustain the money that's coming in because there's no money coming in." Paul claimed that the business was failing despite tens of thousands having been spent on renovations and a new car park.
The 58 year old stated: "I'm going to have to step in and help them out, personally, but I'm not a charity. I have given a substantial amount of money to turn it into what it is now. It is a beautiful pub but it is a business that is losing money.
" Melissa told the meeting her family planned to close the Grade II-Listed pub by the end of August due to declining trade and because it is no longer a viable business. She told the committee: “The last six months has shown us the worst in people’s behaviour, the personal insults and attacks have been unforgivable." The pub, run by Melissa, for the past 16 years and owned by her father Glenn Spalding, was originally put up for sale in November 2020 and remains on the market, reported the Local Democracy Reporting Service .
Documents submitted to the council show the owners have gone through four estate agents since first listing the property at just under £1m..
