Diddly Squat Farm jobs in Oxfordshire could be at risk as Jeremy Clarkson issued a blunt warning to staff amid ongoing planning issues with the council.
The 66-year-old Clarkson’s Farm star has spoken of renewed problems with West Oxfordshire District Council over planning matters concerning his Oxfordshire businesses.
Mr Clarkson said he wants to lay hardcore on the field used as a car park at The Farmer’s Dog pub before winter weather turns it into a “mud bath”.
Writing in his column in The Sunday Times, Mr Clarkson claimed he had been unable to get permission despite contacting the council.
He said: “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.”
Mr Clarkson said uncertainty also surrounds his Diddly Squat Farm Shop near Chipping Norton.
He added: “Nearly 300 people are employed by my various enterprises these days. And all of them want to know if their jobs are secure.”
“And all we can ever tell them is: ‘We don’t know.'”
Mr Clarkson also said owners of cafés, antique shops and guesthouses in the area benefit from visitors attracted by Diddly Squat and are seeking clarity about the future.
The latest issue follows a series of well-publicised planning disputes between the former Top Gear presenter and West Oxfordshire District Council.
In 2022, the council rejected planning applications connected to a new restaurant and car park at Diddly Squat Farm.
Mr Clarkson has now criticised the wider planning system and called for change.
He said: “There’s no doubt that the planning system in this country is broken, and I suspect it’s because far too many people are invited to have an opinion on each application.”
Mr Clarkson’s farming business and previous battles with the council have featured extensively in the hit Prime Video series Clarkson’s Farm, which first launched in 2021.
