The Great British Bake Off judge Paul Hollywood has won a three-year planning battle to build a new kitchen extension at his £1 million home in Kent.
Planners at the local council gave the go-ahead for the celebrity chef, 60, to demolish a 1980s lean-to conservatory at his listed 18th-century farmhouse near Ashford.
Hollywood purchased the four-bed property for £810,000 in 2019 and planned to replace the existing conservatory with a grand open-plan kitchen-diner designed for filming television shows.
Revised kitchen extension design
Council officials previously rejected the initial application for a camera-friendly kitchen extension. Hollywood secured approval after submitting revised plans that reduced the length of the extension from 20ft to 18ft and cut its depth from 21ft to 18ft.
The approved plans also permit Hollywood to build a walled kitchen garden with fruit trees and raised beds so he can grow his own vegetables and herbs.
A council conservation officer supported the updated design, stating: "The conservation officer is content with this revised scheme and considers that the proposal represents a considerable improvement on the previous refused scheme, more in keeping with the character and appearance of the existing listed dwelling."
Addressing the new walled enclosure, a planning officer told The Sun: "Whilst this style of wall is considered to be more appropriate for a higher-status country house, as the wall only relates to the enclosure of the kitchen garden, it is not considered reasonable to object to this element of the proposal."
Filming space for TV shows
The planning approval follows an ongoing debate over modifying the historic listed property. In a previous statement, Hollywood's planning agent explained why the specialized kitchen was necessary for TV production.
"The proposed extension is needed for ad-hoc filming for the house's owner, Paul Hollywood, who is a well-known TV personality and celebrity chef," the agent said.
"The existing kitchen is not large and is too narrow for filming purposes: the cameras cannot be set up adequately to obtain the required shots," the agent added. "The proposed kitchen will, on the other hand, provide a suitable space for these purposes. The space will enable the filming of a unique documentary of Paul Hollywood cooking from home."
"This would provide an engaging and enhanced experience for viewers with the chef being in his own familiar environment. The use of the space for TV cookery shows is a unique factor which would be of social benefit to the public," the statement concluded.
During the earlier planning dispute, local residents also commented on the proposal. One local defended Hollywood, saying: "Why shouldn’t he be allowed to film in his own home? It’s his own private property."
Return to Bake Off
Hollywood is best known as a long-serving judge on The Great British Bake Off, the popular television culinary competition where amateur bakers compete in weekly technical and showstopper challenges.
The planning victory comes as Hollywood prepares for the upcoming series of the show. He is set to join new co-judge Nigella Lawson on the new series of The Great British Bake Off next month.
Representatives for Paul Hollywood were approached by the Daily Mail for comment regarding the planning decision.
