Clarkson's Farm's 'nemesis' has set up a crowdfund to stop Diddly Squat farm

The long-awaited second season of Clarkson's Farm dropped on Prime Video on Friday (10 February), and it's going down a treat with fans; however, some locals in Chipping Norton are vehemently opposed to the whole thing.

The first season of the show was released in June 2021 and proved to be a huge hit, with viewers engrossed by the controversial broadcaster's attempts to farm his 1,000-acre land in the Cotswolds.

The new series sees the 62-year-old take on a whole host of challenges - such as cattle, badgers and bird flu - but the biggest obstacle he has to overcome is the council.

Much of the show centres around his efforts to open a restaurant on his farm, but he faces stiff opposition from the 'red tape factory', aka the council.

In episode five, 'Council-ing', Clarkson heads down to a fateful planning meeting, determining the future of his restaurant bid, and in a 'pre-match meet' with his land agent and advisor Charlie Ireland, they discuss a local man's campaign to 'stop Diddly Squat'.

Speaking about the man who had decided to be his 'nemesis', Clarkson said: "One of the people in the village, Hamish Dewar, has employed a London planning barrister to submit his objections on the application."

Charlie then points out that the objection claims they would be developing on two million square metres of land - the equivalent of half of Clarkson's farm.

Dewar has set up a fundraiser which has received almost £20,000 in donations.

Prime Video

"I am a painting conservator and have lived in Chadlington for 28 years," Dewar explains.

"I have spent the last 35 years conserving paintings and now, reluctantly, find myself trying to help conserve an AONB [Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty]."

Dewar said the money will be used to fund legal challenges against Clarkson's restaurant plans.

"I must stress that this is not a personal vendetta against Jeremy Clarkson, who has many supporters in Chadlington who disagree with my stance," Dewar writes.

"He has the platform, primarily in The Sunday Times, to put across his case, and, it must be said, to be (in the eyes of some) rude and offensive at will [ 'moron', 'red trouser brigade' and 'a busybody'] but also has the wherewithal, and apparent inclination, to be an inspiration for regenerative agriculture.

"If he can be stopped from pursuing what is, again in my opinion, a really daft idea, and focus on responsible farming, the world will, in one tiny corner of the Cotswolds, be a better place."

Prime Video

For Clarkson, it's human objections like this which have caused him far more headaches than any livestock issues.

The show has been praised for shining a light on the array of challenges faced by farmers across the country, and while tuberculosis and bird flu have caused a lot of problems for Clarkson, he told LADbible that 'government is the biggest disease of them all'.

"You just wouldn't believe how many things they tell you you can't do," he said.

"And if there are one or two things they've forgotten, they've got the council to tell you you can't do them."

Topics: TV and Film, Jeremy Clarkson

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey