After Oxfordshire rejected his car park extension plans, the TV host is trying again.
Teenage employees on Jeremy Clarkson’s farm are reportedly required to “wear body cameras” due to “abuse” from locals.
After the council denied his Diddly Squat Farm expansion plans in May, the TV host fights for approval.
West Oxfordshire District Council (WODC) and some villagers oppose Clarkson, 62, expanding the parking lot of his farm shop to accommodate a total of 70 vehicles out of concern that it will attract more visitors to the site in Chadlington, near Chipping Norton, and exacerbate traffic congestion.
WODC added that allowing more vehicles would further disturb the tranquility of the Cotswolds’ area of exceptional natural beauty.
At a two-day meeting where the planning inspector is evaluating Clarkson’s plans, Chadlington resident Hilary Moore stated on Tuesday that tourists attracted to the farm are “motorheads” who “show off their cars” on surrounding roads.
On Wednesday, however, Annabel Gray, who operates a catering trailer at the farm, stated that this was an “unfair” characterization and that she had “witnessed locals” contributing to traffic problems by traveling slowly.
Ms. Gray, 32, also claimed that 16-year-old farm workers wore bodycams to prevent village abuse.
Significant opportunity for the council
“Diddly Squat has a significant opportunity to educate the public about local agriculture,” she said.
“This is an enormous, enormous opportunity for WODC. I implore you not to ignore the fact that this is something that can be improved upon.”
Henry Lawrence, a local butcher who supplies Diddly Squat, has stated that the store could be the “crown jewel” of sustainable farming and that his business has grown “dramatically” since beginning to trade with it.
On Tuesday, it became known that two individuals opposed to Clarkson’s intentions have received death threats.
According to WODC, an unnamed councilor and a member of the public have received threatening messages for speaking out against the former Top Gear host’s proposals.
Andrew Hutchings, chairman of the Chadlington Parish Council, stated that there was a “variety of opinions” regarding the village farm. But the majority concurred that it had “clearly outgrown its original purpose.”
“Pivotal point reached”
“We have reached a tipping point between a farm shop and a tourist attraction for people who want to see the celebrity in addition to the farm,” he said.
“The issue arises when there are too many visitors… traffic is a major concern for the entire community.”
It is difficult to imagine the proposed parking lot accommodating this demand during peak hours.
The council argued that the expansion of Clarkson’s car park indicates a change in the land’s use from retail to “leisure activities,” necessitating different planning considerations. In August 2022, he was ordered to close the farm’s dining areas for alleged violations of planning laws.
Since 2008, he has managed the 1,000-acre farm in two Amazon Prime series called Clarkson’s Farm.
In the following weeks, a final decision on the plans will be published.
