Jeremy Clarkson is facing a massive obstacle at his Farmer’s Dog pub, warning that the latest roadblock could cause ‘nervous breakdowns’.
Earlier this year, the Clarkson’s Farm star was granted planning permission to extend the car park at his pub, as customers who didn’t fit into the overflowing car park had been forced to park in a neighbouring farmer’s field.
Clarkson was told that he would be allowed to use the space as an overflow car park until December 31 2029.
However, it’s been far from smooth sailing since he was given permission to go ahead with the overflow car park, as he claimed in his latest column that ‘the planning system in this country is broken’.
Recalling how the planning department at West Oxfordshire originally said he couldn’t turn the barn into a restaurant four years ago, Clarkson wrote in The Times: ‘Bitter disputes broke out in my village. The c-word was bandied about. Huge sums of money were spent. Everyone had nervous breakdowns. And now, I fear, it’s going to kick off all over again.’
He explained that this summer, he was ‘offered a large amount of hardcore’ – which Thames Building Supplies explains is ‘a coarse construction material made from crushed stone, concrete, brick or other suitable hard materials’ – which he wanted to use in the field that they use for a car park ‘to provide hard standing’.
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‘I was keen to get cracking for two reasons: firstly, it was a limited-time offer and, secondly, I wanted it in place before the winter rains turned the field into a mud bath,’ he said.
Clarkson warned that this winter, his customers could end up ‘dragging tons of mud onto the roads’ as all he’s received back so far about the latest updates is ‘silence’.
The 66-year-old added that there are also hundreds of people who have been left wondering about the security of their jobs, as they rely on the popularity of the Diddly Squat farm for their businesses.
Clarkson continued: ‘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.’
He looked back on when he originally wanted to open his restaurant, when they had to find out what the police, various organisations and members of the public all thought of the proposal.
‘We cannot allow the current system to go on. We cannot allow so many ill-informed people to have the ability to stop projects,’ he wrote, also mentioning that he wants AI to help speed up the process in the future.
Earlier this month, Clarkson revealed that he was exploring opening a second pub, but it wasn’t going to be in the UK.
Speaking at the Conservative Party Conference, he said: ‘Why would anybody set up a business in this country right now?’
However, he added that it’s currently still a hypothetical dream at the moment, rather than a venture he’s actively pursuing.