Jeremy Clarkson did not attend council hearing that could decide fate of Diddly Squat Farm

Jeremy Clarkson decided not to attend a hearing that could decide the fate of his Diddly Squat farm.

The widely-publicised hearing has been getting underway at West Oxfordshire District Council’s offices in Witney, where it will be decided if Clarkson can expand the car park of his farm plot in Oxfordshire.

The plans have been opposed by West Oxfordshire District Council, which has claimed that the proposed expansion would encourage more visitors to Diddly Squat farm adding to traffic problems.

However, while the high-profile hearing has grabbed the attention of fans - and garnered plenty of media attention - Clarkson himself has not been in attendance.

According to the Oxford Mail, Charlie Ireland, better known as Cheerful Charlie, is attending on his behalf.

But Clarkson is keeping himself informed on the matters, and last night implied that a solution is on the horizon.

When asked yesterday (15 March) how the hearing had gone, Clarkson responded: "The coverage makes it sound like a civil war is raging. The truth: a compromise will be reached.”

Twitter/@JeremyClarkson

The hearing has heard from locals who are both for and against the expansion, with one resident telling the hearing Diddly Squat could be the ‘crown jewel in the local sustainable farming movement’.

Local butcher and Diddly Squat supplier Henry Lawrence said: “I would like to see a car park granted of the correct capacity, not only for the success of the farm shop, but for the success of local businesses too.

“Diddly Squat farm could be the crown jewel in the local sustainable farming movement.”

This latest hearing comes after West Oxfordshire District Council ordered Clarkson to close down a restaurant on the grounds of Diddly Squat.

Mark Dyball Picture Library / Alamy Stock Photo

As seen in the documentary series Clarkson’s Farm, the TV personality opened up a restaurant and began serving up food sourced from local farms.

At the time, Clarkson thought he'd found a 'delightful little loophole' in the regulations which would allow him to make and serve food on site, but the council said there had been an 'unlawful' change of use and ordered the restaurant to be shut down.

On 12 August 2022, he was given an enforcement notice with a six-week deadline and decided to appeal the decision, but later wrote to the council saying he 'no longer wished' to open up the restaurant.

However, last month, it was revealed that Clarkson had launched an appeal against the decision.