Jeremy Clarkson has dropped his bid for a restaurant on his Diddly Squat farm following a planning row.
The broadcaster, 62, mentioned in a letter to his native council that he “no longer wished” to open the eating venue at his Oxfordshire farm.
It comes after the TV presenter was ordered to close the restaurant in August this 12 months by West Oxfordshire District Council.
The authority rejected planning permission for the restaurant, primarily based in and round one of many farm’s barns, in January final 12 months.
Clarkson proceeded to open the restaurant in July, saying that he had discovered a “delightful little loophole” that allowed him to open the venue.
But the authority then issued an enforcement discover, saying the opening of the restaurant represented a “material change of use”.
Clarkson was instructed to close the restaurant, or something promoting meals to be consumed on the farm, and likewise ordered to take away eating tables, chairs, parasols and picnic tables.
Now he says he has dropped his plan for the restaurant altogether. Writing to the council to clarify the thought behind the plans, he mentioned: “On the farming front, I had read about something called mob grazing.
“This is a extremely ecological method of rejuvenating the soil, utilizing the muck from hens and cows, somewhat than chemical fertilisers.
“The problem was that if I sold the cows in the conventional way, I’d lose about £200 on each one. So I decided that to make a profit, the beef should be cooked and served in a restaurant, which I’d create by converting our lambing barn.
“Permission for this was refused. And our makes an attempt to get spherical the issue through the use of permitted improvement rights, and opening up in our so-called Lowland Barn have been thwarted by the enforcement discover we’re interesting.
“As a result of this, I’ve had to sell most of the cows I bought. And now I’m back to using chemicals. I no longer wish to open a restaurant.”
‘I do not wish to flip Diddly Squat into Disneyland’
The letter was written to the council as a part of an attraction by Clarkson in opposition to the authority’s choice to reject his planning utility.
Though he’s not pursuing plans for a restaurant, he’s persevering with to hunt planning permission for a part of his utility, which might permit the event of on-site parking.
He wrote in his letter: “We do not wish to expand the on-site businesses any further. We are perfectly happy with what we have.
“A little shop, and the lambing barn, which can be used for lambing in the spring and as a place for people to sit in the summer while they have food and a glass of our own beer from the mobile van.
“Then they go house with just a little one thing they purchased within the store.
“Contrary to some of the claims being made, I do not want to turn Diddly Squat Farm into Disneyland. It is, after all, where I live.
“But we actually do want on-site parking. It’s important. And bathrooms.”
‘Changing traditional village life’
Former Top Gear star Clarkson bought the farm in Chadlington in 2008, but it was previously run by a villager. However, in 2019 he decided to give it a go himself.
The site has become well known since the launch of the Clarkson’s Farm TV series in June 2021.
The success of the sequence has seen folks flock to the farm store to purchase merchandise together with “Cow juice” (milk) and “Bee juice” (honey).
But the elevated visitors from followers coming to the positioning, which he runs with accomplice Lisa Hogan, has sparked upset from locals.
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One resident accused Clarkson of “changing traditional village life”, whereas one other mentioned the broadcaster’s farm store had resulted “in environmental damage to the village”.
Clarkson met with residents in Chadlington in September 2021 following the “gossip” that had unfold about his plans for the positioning.
A complete of 69 public objections have been made in opposition to the proposals, with simply 17 feedback in help.
‘I’m happy with what we have carried out’
Writing in his letter to the council, Clarkson admitted his farm had created “traffic problems in the area”, which he recognised had “infuriated some people in the local village”.
He mentioned that he hoped an on-site parking space would alleviate among the points.
Clarkson wrote: “Diddly Squat Farm is a good thing. The TV show about it was extremely well received and has an unusual five-star rating on Amazon Prime.
“Farmers, particularly, cherished it and even gave me an award for highlighting their issues.
“I’m proud of what we have done here and I’m extremely proud of Lisa for what she’s achieved at the shop, in sometimes very trying bureaucratic circumstances.
“I simply hope and pray that wise selections can now be made, in order that it continues to learn not simply us, however so many different companies within the space.”
The attraction is because of go earlier than the National Planning Inspectorate in March.
Source: information.sky.com”