Jeremy Clarkson has opened up about a growing problem affecting his businesses as he issues a stark warning over a situation he fears could spiral out of control
Jeremy Clarkson has issued a stark warning over the future of his business empire as he faces fresh difficulties with his local council.
The Clarkson’s Farm star has become a major attraction in the Cotswolds, with his Diddly Squat Farm drawing visitors to the area and helping support other local businesses. But in a new column for The Times , Jeremy has revealed how uncertainty over planning decisions is creating problems for his ventures, leaving hundreds of workers wondering what comes next.
The former Top Gear presenter said he feared another dispute with West Oxfordshire District Council could be looming, four years after a previous battle over his plans to open a restaurant.
Writing about his latest difficulties, Jeremy explained that he had been offered a large quantity of hardcore to create a firmer surface in the field used as a car park at his pub.
He wanted to complete the work before the winter weather arrived, as the offer was only available for a limited time and heavy rain could turn the field into a muddy mess.
However, he said he had been unable to secure the necessary permission despite repeatedly contacting the local authority.
Jeremy wrote: “We’ve rung. We’ve begged. We’ve pleaded. We’ve explained that if we don’t do the work now we will lose the hardcore and, all winter, our customers will be dragging tons of mud onto the roads. And all we get back is silence.”
He added that the difficulties were not confined to the pub, with unanswered questions also surrounding the future of his farm shop.
The uncertainty, he explained, was having implications far beyond his own businesses, with staff and other traders in the area waiting to find out what lay ahead.
“Nearly 300 people are employed by my various enterprises these days,” he wrote. “And all of them want to know if their jobs are secure.”
He also pointed to the cafés, antique shops and guesthouses that depend on the visitors attracted by Diddly Squat Farm, saying their owners were equally affected by the lack of clarity.
“And all we can ever tell them is: ‘We don’t know.'”
Jeremy’s latest comments have revived memories of his previous planning battles with West Oxfordshire District Council.
In 2022, the authority took enforcement action against Diddly Squat Farm, ordering the closure of its café and restaurant over alleged breaches of planning rules. The dispute followed rejected applications for a restaurant and an expanded car park, which would have increased capacity from 10 spaces to 70.
His farm’s popularity, boosted by the Amazon Prime Video series Clarkson’s Farm , has continued to put planning matters in the spotlight. In 2023, he received temporary permission for three years for a car park, with a later application seeking to extend that arrangement until 2030.
Earlier this year, Oxfordshire County Council supported the proposed extension, citing expectations of continued demand. The final decision rests with West Oxfordshire District Council.
Jeremy acknowledged that proposals to overhaul the planning system were being developed, but insisted the current arrangements could not continue.
“There are now plans to overhaul the entire planning system, which sounds great,” he wrote. “But we can’t allow the current system to go on. We can’t allow so many ill-informed people to have the ability to stop projects.”
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: mirror.co.uk
