Jeremy Clarkson has reignited a planning dispute at his Cotswolds farm shop, Diddly Squat, by seeking permission to extend the temporary car park for an additional four years. The former Top Gear presenter, whose television series Clarkson's Farm continues to draw large crowds, is locked in a battle with West Oxfordshire District Council over the future of the parking facility.
Background of the Parking Dispute
Permission to add parking spaces at Diddly Squat farm was initially granted on appeal in June 2023 to help manage an influx of customers. However, the deadline to return the land to its original use is set for June this year. With Clarkson's Farm commissioned for a sixth series, set to air next year, his team has applied for planning permission to extend the approval until the end of 2030.
The Planning Inspectorate previously approved the car parking extension to address severe traffic issues on surrounding rural roads but refused plans for a permanent restaurant at the site. Clarkson's representatives argue that the original conditions need amendment because the sixth series has already been commissioned and will air in summer 2027.
Arguments for Extension
When the original permission was granted, the second series had just aired, and the long-term impact on the area was unclear, according to the representatives. They stated: "Season five will air this year and season six has been commissioned and will air in summer 2027. Three further years to monitor and review thereafter seems appropriate."
After opening the temporary car park on agricultural land in August 2023, Diddly Squat immediately faced congestion, with visitors experiencing two-hour waits to enter. Clarkson personally oversaw the construction, wearing a hard hat and high-visibility jacket to inspect the works. During the summer holidays, the new car park quickly proved insufficient, forcing staff to open an additional field for 100 more cars, a five-minute walk away.
Planning Application Details
Clarkson's team has submitted a planning application to West Oxfordshire District Council to amend two previously approved conditions. They explained: "Both conditions impose a time limit on the operation of the site and use of adjacent land for car parking. The reason for imposing the condition is clearly set out in the Inspector's decision letter, when considering the planning balance. That was to allow continued monitoring of the effects of the use and associated demand for parking, in light of the success or otherwise of the undertaking and in the context of whether the associated television programme would continue to be commissioned."
The three-year time limit was originally chosen on the basis that if the third series were the final one, two years of monitoring after airing would be sufficient to assess demand. However, the representatives noted: "It (the programme) is currently renewed for the fifth series which is yet to air. The site continues to be popular and attracts sufficient customers to warrant the provision of additional parking. It maintains the associated benefits to the farms and other businesses that supply the farm shop and café, and in turn the economic and social well-being of the wider area. The provision of the dedicated additional parking and careful monitoring by the applicants has also ensured that parking on the adjacent highway is precluded. The landscaping around the car park area has started to mature and assists in assimilating the site into the surrounding landscape."
Unique Circumstances
Clarkson's team acknowledged that granting a second temporary consent is not normal but argued that "unique circumstances" justify it. They concluded: "In light of the continued popularity of the site and associated television programme, we are requesting a further extension of the limited period consents for the use and associated development to provide car parking. Whilst it is normal to only grant one temporary consent, it also confirms that it is justifiable in cases where changing circumstances provide a clear rationale for doing so. The application site is one such case and set of unique changing circumstances. The Inspector clearly identified that the association with a popular current television programme is a unique circumstance which generates a time-limited demand. The rationale is clear: at such time as the television programme no longer airs, then demand may reduce, and the parking required for the operation of the farm shop can be assessed and appropriate provision made."
No further documents or public representations have been submitted so far, and a decision will be made by West Oxfordshire District Council at a later date.
Clarkson's Farm Series Updates
Fans can watch the first four episodes of Clarkson's Farm from June 3, with the eight-part series releasing in parts: episodes five and six on June 10, and seven and eight on June 17. Prime Video has teased: "Clarkson’s Farm is back, and amidst a government budget that sends the UK farming community into uproar, Jeremy decides some big changes are needed to make the farm run more smoothly. But while the farm tries to go high-tech - resulting in Kaleb’s first ever trip abroad - even bigger developments are heading for Diddly Squat that are going to prove much more of a challenge."
First-look images from the series show Clarkson, 65, alongside a smiling Kaleb Cooper, 27, and his long-term partner Lisa Hogan, back at Diddly Squat Farm. The former Top Gear host is also seen working with a gaggle of geese, which he revealed he purchased for the farm in 2025. Last October, Clarkson joked that the next series is "a conveyor belt of misery," and he was forced to "send the cameras away" after a string of major setbacks. The documentary series, which first aired on Amazon Prime in 2021, has had four successful series and was renewed for another in November last year.
