Clarkson loses another bid to expand shop
JEREMY Clarkson has faced a blow to his Diddly Squat Farm Shop extension plans after councillors refused his watereddown planning application.
The former Top Gear presenter wanted to extend his shop’s car park from ten to 70 spaces.
But local councillors said the plans would have a “visually intrusive and harmful impact” on the countryside and refused Clarkson’s application.
Clarkson had faced around 30 objection comments from villagers with some citing concerns over traffic chaos around Chadlington in the Cotswolds.
Yet an equal number voiced their support for the application, which was refused on Friday by West Oxfordshire District Council.
Explaining the decision, development manager Abby Fettes wrote: “By reason of its location, size and design the proposed development would not be sustainable and would not be compatible or consistent in scale with the existing farming business or its open countryside location and would have a visually intrusive and harmful impact on the rural character, scenic beauty and tranquillity of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Wychwood Project Area.”
It is the second time 62-year-oldClarkson has seen a planning application for his farm shop rejected this year.
In January, councillors refused permission for a proposed 60-seat cafe and a car park with 70 spaces.
Clarkson made a fresh application on March 2 to build the car park and introduce new entry and exit points for his farm shop.
It was argued in planning documents that there was not sufficient parking space to deal with the number of visitors.
Local residents have complained of “traffic chaos” since Clarkson’s hit TV show Clarkson’s Farm aired last June.
The parish council objected to the application, saying it “would remove some, but not all, vehicles from the road given the visitor numbers experienced, and would not reduce the current number of vehicle movements in the area which is a safety concern”.
Thames Valley Police’s crime prevention design adviser Kevin Cox said the applicant must provide details of what would be done to control parking at busy times to stop
“safety issues and disruption and a subsequent demand on police resourcing as seen previously”.
However, those in favour said parking facilities for the farm shop are much needed and will ease pressure on surrounding roads while boosting the local economy.
One resident seemed resigned to the ongoing development of the site and said that people may have “reluctantly concluded that the best option is to support this application given everyone’s concerns for averting a bad accident”.