Jeremy Clarkson has warned that the ongoing battle over the overflow car park at his Farmer's Dog pub could cause 'nervous breakdowns', as he criticises the UK planning system as 'broken'.
Earlier this year, the Clarkson's Farm star was granted planning permission to extend the car park at his pub in Chadlington, Oxfordshire, after customers who could not fit into the overflowing car park had been forced to park in a neighbouring farmer's field. He was told he would be allowed to use the space as an overflow car park until December 31 2029.
'The planning system in this country is broken'
Writing in The Times, Clarkson recalled how the planning department at West Oxfordshire originally said he could not turn the barn into a restaurant four years ago, leading to 'bitter disputes' in his village. He wrote: 'Bitter disputes broke out in my village. The c-word was bandied about. Huge sums of money were spent. Everyone had nervous breakdowns. And now, I fear, it's going to kick off all over again.'
He explained that this summer he was 'offered a large amount of hardcore' – which Thames Building Supplies describes as 'a coarse construction material made from crushed stone, concrete, brick or other suitable hard materials' – which he wanted to use in the field used for the car park 'to provide hard standing'.
Winter mud risk and job security fears
'I was keen to get cracking for two reasons: firstly, it was a limited-time offer and, secondly, I wanted it in place before the winter rains turned the field into a mud bath,' he said. Clarkson warned that this winter his customers could end up 'dragging tons of mud onto the roads' as all he has received back so far about the latest updates is 'silence'.
The 66-year-old added that hundreds of people are also left wondering about the security of their jobs, as they rely on the popularity of the Diddly Squat farm for their businesses.
Calls for reform and a possible second pub
Clarkson continued: 'There's no doubt that the planning system in this country is broken, and I suspect it's because far too many people are invited to have an opinion on each application.' He looked back on when he originally wanted to open his restaurant, when they had to find out what the police, various organisations and members of the public all thought of the proposal.
'We cannot allow the current system to go on. We cannot allow so many ill-informed people to have the ability to stop projects,' he wrote, also mentioning that he wants artificial intelligence to help speed up the process in the future.
Earlier this month, Clarkson revealed he was exploring opening a second pub, but it would not be in the UK. Speaking at the Conservative Party Conference, he said: 'Why would anybody set up a business in this country right now?' However, he added that it is currently still a hypothetical dream rather than a venture he is actively pursuing.
