Jeremy Clarkson has secured planning permission to expand his Oxfordshire pub, The Farmer's Dog, after a dispute lasting more than a year. West Oxfordshire District Council approved the application to lay hard surfacing in both car parks at the Burford venue, according to the Oxford Mail.
Planning officer Kelly Murray acknowledged that the pub has caused 'unusual' traffic levels in the village of Asthall, leading to congestion along the A40 and within the village itself. However, she noted that the lawful use of the venue as a pub and restaurant meant the council could not prevent impacts from the high public interest.
Murray emphasised the need for safe, off-road parking to discourage visitors from parking on the A40 or roads leading to Asthall. She cited the situation at Clarkson's Diddly Squat Farm shop as an example of how inadequate parking can lead to chaos, with roadside verges being transformed by high visitor numbers.
In her decision, Murray concluded that 'the public interest in granting permission outweighs any slight harm caused' by the expansion. Clarkson, 65, bought the pub in summer 2024, and its opening was featured on his Amazon Prime series Clarkson's Farm.
The former Top Gear presenter has maintained a '100% British' policy at the pub, sourcing ingredients from within a 16-mile radius. He recently lifted a longstanding ketchup ban but extended the British-only rule to customers' birthday cakes.
