Paul Hollywood’s wife Melissa tells of ‘unforgivable’ insults as plans to turn pub in Smarden, near Ashford, into house approved

KentOnline / KMTV

The Celebrity Baker's family got the decision they wanted, but some villagers said 'shame on you' to Hollywood's tearful wife, Gabriel Morris reports.

Transcript

00:00A quintessential English village near Ashford and on Smardon's High Street is the Chequers

00:05pub. It's been here since the 14th century and is now owned by this celebrity baker's

00:10wife's family. But at a planning meeting last night, permission was granted to turn

00:15the Chequers into a house. The family says the business is no longer financially viable.

00:22Unfortunately the pub cannot survive on people drinking once or twice a week. It needs a

00:26steady flow of locals using it regularly for meals and other social activities. Unfortunately

00:32the last six months has shown us the worst in people's behaviour. The personal insults

00:36and attacks have been unforgivable. We have owned and run the Chequers Inn for nearly

00:4117 years and put our heart and souls into it. Ask yourself, would you work a 12-16 hour

00:46shift every day just to make a loss and would you do it if you were 80 years old with a

00:51life-threatening heart condition? She was supported at the meeting last night by her

00:54husband Paul Hollywood. She's been the landlady of the Grade 2 listed pub for the past 16

01:00years. But at the other side of the chamber, villagers crying out for this pub to stay.

01:05First and foremost, the Chequers is a business and it should be valued and sold for its worth

01:10as a business. An industry expert who specialises in valuing pubs said that the accounts show

01:14that run differently, the Chequers could prosper as it has in the past. Three separate people

01:19have put forward substantial offers to buy the Chequers. None have been accepted because

01:23the owners want more. And to get more money, they want the Borough Council to turn a Grade

01:272 14th century heritage asset into a residence. The committee voted to approve the application

01:34with seven in favour and five against. Villagers quickly heading home, knowing the owners of

01:40the Chequers will have several years to implement the change of use. But it could still remain

01:45a pub if another owner can be found. Gabriel Morris, near Ashford.

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