Do not underestimate the sheer small mindedness, NIMBY (not in my back yard), utter dickheads that local government, local council, local town halls can be in the UK; and they sure as fuck don't want to see an outsider come in and be a success. He needed to have had family there for at least 10 generations to even be considered an adopted local.It's hard to tell what's real and what is scripted in this show. That town hall meeting where they were going to vote on the restaurant it seemed like more people were in favor of it than against and then when they actually voted the large majority of people voted against. It seemed like at least half of the people who voted against, originally spoke in favor but then voted against.
Who knows how much of that is done for dramatic effect to create a "challenge" for the "team" in later episodes.