Jeremy Clarkson has revealed he is in the middle of another planning permission dispute, this time over plans to improve the car park at his pub, The Farmer's Dog.
The former Top Gear presenter, 66, took over the Oxfordshire pub in 2024, with its role in his Prime Video series bringing tourists to the establishment and the local area.
Writing in his column in The Sunday Times, Clarkson shared that four years after he clashed with the local council over a restaurant he planned to build in the area, it looks like "it's going to kick off all over again".
Hardcore material offer
Clarkson explained that he had been offered a large amount of a material called hardcore that he could use to create a hard-surfaced area for his pub car park.
"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 wrote. "Urgency, however, is not a word that's fully understood by local authorities."
"So I'm sitting here today, with the rain falling, and we can't get permission. We've rung. We've begged. We've pleaded. We've explained that if we don't do the work now we will lose the hardcore and, all winter, our customers will be dragging tons of mud onto the roads. And all we get back is silence."
Concerns over jobs
Clarkson said he was having "similar problems" with his farm shop, adding: "Nearly 300 people are employed by my various enterprises these days. And all of them want to know if their jobs are secure."
"So too do the owners of all the cafés, antique shops and guesthouses in the area who rely on Diddly Squat's popularity for much of their business. And all we can ever tell them is: 'We don't know.'"
Reflecting on the situation, Clarkson wrote: "It's strange that nearly all of the buildings that are listed as important and worthy of preservation in this country were built before planning permission came along in 1948. And almost all of the ones that came afterwards aren't."
"If it got the nod from the local council, it's rubbish and you can do what you like with it. If it didn't, you aren't even allowed to change a lightbulb."
Previous restaurant dispute
It was back in late 2021 that Clarkson first clashed with the council over his plans to convert one of his barns into a restaurant.
At the time, Clarkson called a meeting with local people at the Memorial Hall in Chadlington, where he announced plans to turn the building into a kitchen and restaurant serving meals for £60 for two.
The former Grand Tour presenter admitted that visitors had "swamped" the village since Clarkson's Farm had grown in popularity, but said it led to increased trade for local businesses. Months later, planning officers said that converting a lambing shed into a restaurant would be out of keeping with the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Reflecting on this moment in his new column, Clarkson wrote: "When my restaurant plan was being discussed, one of [the councillors] said he objected because of light pollution. Even though it would shut at 4pm. He didn't care about the jobs that would be created, because in his mind, Saturn is more important."
