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Topics: Clarkson's Farm, Jeremy Clarkson, Politics, Business, Food And Drink, UK News
Tom Earnshaw
Topics: Clarkson's Farm, Jeremy Clarkson, Politics, Business, Food And Drink, UK News
The third season of Clarkson's Farm saw Jeremy Clarkson and Lisa Hogan celebrate a huge win against West Oxfordshire District Council.
Ever since Jezza took over the full-time running of Diddly Squat Farm back in 2019, he's had issues with the local council over his ambitious plans to diversify the 1,000-acre plot's income streams.
From the opening of a farm shop to an al fresco restaurant and more recently, growing mushrooms and rearing pigs, Clarkson has explored what feels like countless avenues in his attempts to make Diddly Squat profitable.
At the beginning of the season three, Jeremy is handed an enforcement notice by the council which says he must shut down the Diddly Squat Farm restaurant immediately.
But he doesn't take the decision lying down, appealing it to the government's national planning inspectorate.
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This was alongside an appeal to extend a car park at the farm in Chadlington to stop people parking on the main road outside the farm shop and causing traffic issues.
After a two day hearing, the planning inspector gave his decision on both matters in June last year.
The second season of Clarkson's Farm shows Jeremy open a restaurant in an old lambing shed already constructed on Diddly Squat Farm. After being refused permission to build a restaurant, he said he used a 'loophole' in planning law to open within the existing building.
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This was swiftly shut down by the council's enforcement notice, saying it had rejected the plans due to it having a 'significant impact on the local community'.
With the matter sent before the planning inspectorate, planning inspector R J Perrins ruled that the restaurant cannot reopen in the lambing shed.
Perrins said that the restaurant had 'resulted in harm' to the local area and was rejected in order to 'protect the intrinsic character of the area and landscape; to conserve the natural beauty, scenic beauty and landscape of the AONB [Area Of Natural Beauty]'.
The second part of the appeal was about the farm shop, parking and toilet facilities on site, and the presence of a cafe on the farm.
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Clarkson had argued that the parking and toilet was a necessity for people visiting his farm shop due to it being an immediate success; something the council ended up agreeing with.
He said that the parking issues on the main road next to the car park were exactly why the car park on site was needed.
Making a decision, the planning inspector gave Jeremy a huge green light on all above matters. Perrins ruled that he would grant planning permission for the extended car park; something we see being built in season three. He ruled Diddly Squat had become a 'victim of its own success'.
In doing this, Perrins also granted permission for the land to be used as 'mixed-use', giving a thumbs up to the farm shop, toilet facilities, and a cafe.
The third season of Clarkson's Farm captures the very moment Jeremy receives the planning inspector's decision.
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"We've won the appeal," a jubilant Clarkson says to Lisa.
"Point 41... I shall for the purposes of clarity and understanding - this is the planning inspector - correct the allegation to a change of use of a mixed-use comprising agriculture, cafe, restaurant, farm shop, parking and lavatory facilities.
"This is the biggest f*** you to the council ever."