Clarkson’s Farm fans furious after finding out planning permission was granted for farm shop expansion in same area

Charlie Herbert

It’s been labelled ‘small village mob mentality’

Fans of Clarkson’s Farm have been left fuming after the revelation that a nearby farm was granted planning permission for all sorts of developments – unlike Jeremy’s farm.

Viewers of the Prime Video show will be more than aware of the struggles Jeremy Clarkson has had with the local council in his attempts to open a shop and a restaurant on his Diddly Squat farm.

The Grand Tour host did open his own farm shop in the first series of the show, but had to close it for two months last year after West Oxfordshire District Council (WODC) ordered him to change the roof.

In the summer of 2022, Clarkson managed to open his own restaurant and cafe. Despite planning permission being rejected for the development by WODC, Clarkson went ahead with the restaurant thanks to a “delightful little loophole.”

But just three months after it opened, WODC ordered him to shut the al-fresco eatery.

Now, fans of the show have been left angry and confused by the discovery that a nearby farm has been granted permission in recent years to develop and grow.

Clarkson has been involved in a long-running clash with the local council over the development of his farm (SWNS)

According to the Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard, over the years nearby Daylesford Organic Farms was able to file planning applications and successfully construct a large farm shop, home shop, garden shop, wine shop, cafe, restaurant, bar, spa and children’s daycare centre.

They even offer cookery classes too.

While both farms sit in the Cotswold area of outstanding natural beauty, Daylesford Organic Farms are under a different council jurisdiction, and deal with Cotswold District Council.

But the fact that the two farms are just a few miles apart means that some fans reckon it’s harsh on Clarkson to not be allowed to grow his business whilst other farms can.

It looks like a full day out at Daylesford Organic Farms (Daylesford Organic)

One person labelled the lack of permission for building at Diddly Squat as “small village mob mentality” and pointed out that someone did “cone off the sides of a single lane road” right outside Clarkson’s farm.

Another said one farm had managed to build an “entire organic supermarket”, while a third claimed West Oxfordshire District Council “behaved bad”.

Someone else wondered if there had been “a few years of back and forth between the council and the farmer”, suggesting that lots of developments eventually got the green light on a much longer timescale than a season of Clarkson’s Farm would allow.

After season two of Clarkson’s Farm showed the former Top Gear host have further clashes with the council, WODC has spoken out and denied claims that they may have some sort of vendetta against Clarkson.

A statement said: “We understand that the planning process shown in Season 2 of Clarkson’s Farm can seem obstructive and that people will be confused by the planning decisions at Diddly Squat Farm.

“As with any other planning authority, we have a legal responsibility to make sure that planning laws and policies are followed correctly by everyone to manage development and protect local communities and the environment.

“This is regardless of who they are and we treat Diddly Squat Farm no differently.”

Related links: