Jeremy Clarkson's car park application that could decide future of Diddly Squat farm divides villagers

The opinions of locals are split on Jeremy Clarkson’s car park plans for his Diddly Squat farm.

The Clarkson’s Farm star applied to the council for planning permission to build a car park on the Oxfordshire estate.

The farm and its associated farm shop have become a bit of a tourist spot in the area, with fans of the TV personality flocking to pay it a visit.

This has led to the area being hit with lengthy queues of traffic and parking chaos.

Clarkson has applied for the use of a 60-metre by 32-metre field next to the Diddly Squat farm shop to be turned into a 70-vehicle car park until 1 January 2025.

The application was made after West Oxfordshire District Council turned down Clarkson’s request for a permanent car park at the site.

According to the Witney Gazette, the application has split opinion, with around 30 comments in objection and 15 in support of it, on the West Oxfordshire District Council planning portal.

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Several parents of schoolchildren in the area are calling on the council to give the car park the thumbs up, claiming that the way things are currently presents a danger to motorists.

One comment explains: "I and at least 10 others drive past four times a day to take our children to and from Chadlington School.

"Many times I've had to come to a sudden and abrupt stop as parked cars have swung open doors onto the road without looking and other times as people just walk out into the road between the parked cars.

"Just last week a minibus drove around a parked coach onto my side of the road and I had to drive into the hedge to avoid being hit by the minibus head-on."

Another parent said the current ‘car parking situation is horrific’.

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"They also pull off the verge into the road without checking for oncoming traffic which again causes me to have to make emergency stops,” they went on.

"It's a significant safety risk to myself and my children and the many others who take their children to school using this road."

However, the Consultee Chadlington Parish Council has stated that there ‘is concern in the village that a temporary car park is unlikely to stay ‘temporary’' and is urging the council to consider a ‘guard against a further application for more space or a permanent arrangement as this would represent further development creep on this prominent part of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty landscape’.