Jeremy Clarkson's Diddly Squat Farm inundated by visitors
Need a bigger car park, Jeremy? Motorheads flock to Clarkson’s Diddly Squat farm shop on Bank Holiday Monday – as Amazon Prime star battles council to expand parking at Cotswolds site
- It comes as Clarkson continues his planning war with council over car park
Jeremy Clarkson’s Diddly Squat farm shop has been inundated by an army of Bank Holiday Monday motorheads.
Scores of vehicles once again descended on the popular Oxfordshire site this morning, with long queues forming outside the Amazon presenter’s farm shop as fans of the star’s hit series Clarkson’s Farm battled to get into the venue today.
But as its popularity continues to soar, the farm’s lack of suitable facilities to cater for such a surge of customers was again laid bare, with motors churning up its muddy car park.
Traffic was pictured spilling out onto the road leading to the 63-year-old TV personality’s business.
The latest surge in visitors comes as Clarkson remains locked in a planning appeal battle with West Oxfordshire District Council, which refused to grant permission for him to extend the shop’s parking facilities in May last year.
Scores of people have once again flocked to visit Jeremy Clarkson’s Diddly Squat farm shop in the Cotswolds, with many lining up in huge queues this morning on the muddy site
And as the visitors piled in, the limitations of the site were once again laid bare, with people seemingly struggling to find a car parking space
Today’s stream of punters pouring into the farm shop comes as Clarkson (pictured this morning) continues his battle with the local council to expand the facilities at his business
Only a few weeks ago, a number of cars were left on boggy mounds on the side of a road outside Diddly Squat.
The damage to the land has triggered outrage among some locals, who blasted the masses of punters visiting the farm shop.
READ MORE: Parents back Jeremy Clarkson’s bid for car park at his Diddly Squat farm shop after suffering series of near-misses on the school-run because of illegally parked vehicles blocking road
One local resident who did not want to ne named because of the fear of reprisals, said: ‘The effects of what they are doing when parking on the verges is very disturbing in what was a nice peaceful village before the farm shop.
‘They are churning up the verges and everything around the perimeter of the shop is looking a bit of a mess. Mr Clarkson definitely needs to create some place on his land, where shoppers can park up safely.’
A two-day Planning Inspectorate meeting was held in March to consider proposals by the 63-year-old former Top Gear presenter to accommodate 70 more vehicles.
The plans are opposed by WODC on the grounds that it would encourage more visitors to Diddly Squat farm – which sits between Chadlington and Chipping Norton – adding to traffic problems.
The council has also said allowing more vehicles would further disturb the tranquility of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Taking to Twitter, Clarkson said the recent furore ‘makes it sound like a civil war is raging’, but insisted ‘a compromise will be reached’.
A massive stream of people was pictured queuing up this morning outside the farm shop, which features on the former Top Gear star’s Amazon show, Clarkson’s Farm
Vehicles piled into the car park of Diddly Squat on Bank Holiday Monday. However as the popularity of the site continues to grow, some locals have been left frustrated by the increase in traffic and damage to some of the verges nearby
Visitors to Jeremy Clarkson’s Diddly Squat farm chewed up grass verges with their 4x4s a few weeks ago as a row over a new car park intensifies among locals
A number of cars were left on boggy mounds on the side of a road outside Diddly Squat which have deteriorated in recent days as more and more people flock to visit
It comes after it was revealed teenage workers at Diddly Squat have to wear bodycams to record abuse directed at them from angry locals over the influx of visitors.
Annabel Gray, 32, who works on a catering trailer at Clarkson’s farm, said that workers as young as 16 on the farm have had to have cameras installed on their uniforms.
She also responded to a complaint made in a meeting by Chadlington resident Hilary Moore who described tourists attracted to the farm as ‘motorheads’ who drive slowly on surrounding roads to ‘show off their cars’. But Ms Gray said this description was ‘unfair’, and that she had ‘witnessed local people’ adding to traffic issues by driving slowly too.
Ms Gray, who is also a farmer’s daughter, said Clarkson’s shop provides ‘important’ education for visitors, some of whom do not realise that ‘beef burgers come from a cow’.
Other villagers who support Diddly Squat farm have described it as the ‘crown jewel’ of sustainable living as they pleaded with their local council to allow the expansion plans.
It comes as camera crews were again spotted back in Chipping Norton to resume filming of his hit series, Clarkson’s Farm.
Jeremy Clarkson arriving to the Cheltenham Gold Cup. The TV presenter is currently embroiled in a planning row with the local council over efforts to expand his business
Scores of vehicles again descended on the popular Oxfordshire site this morning, with long queues forming outside the Amazon presenter’s farm shop
But as its popularity continues to soar, the farm’s lack of suitable facilities to cater for such an influx of customers was again laid bare. Pictured are people inside the shop after having queued to get in
While it’s not clear what permissions Clarkson will need to set up the bar on his land, generally planning permission does not need to be sought for temporary structures that are used for less than 28 days a year.
He already sells alcohol in his shop so may not need an additional alcohol licence.
Clarkson’s struggles have prompted some local councillors to call on officials to go easy on the star, with Liam Walker – a Conservative member of Oxfordshire County Council – suggesting he was being treated differently from other developers.
‘Jeremy is Marmite and he knows that,’ he told MailOnline.
‘Of course the council will say all planning applications are taken at face value but I do wonder if some of my council colleagues came to it with a predetermined view.’
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