Jeremy Clarkson ordered to SHUT Diddly Squat Farm restaurant and café

Jeremy Clarkson is ordered to SHUT his Diddly Squat Farm restaurant and café: Star’s battle with the ‘red trouser brigade’ rumbles on as he appeals notice to close ‘unlawful’ dining areas

  • Presenter told by West Oxfordshire Council he had six weeks to make changes
  • These included removing mobile toilets and tables that would be used by diners
  • But Mr Clarkson, 62, denies any breach and is appealing the enforcement notice 

Jeremy Clarkson has been ordered to close his Diddly Squat Farm cafe and restaurant after council bosses claimed the star was using ‘unlawful’ dining areas.

An enforcement notice by West Oxfordshire District Council (WODC), published on August 11, told the presenter he had six weeks to make a number of changes to the Chadlington site, which features in his hit Amazon Prime series, Clarkson’s Farm.

This included ceasing use of any part of the land as a restaurant or cafe, and the general ‘sale or provision of food or drinks to members of the public for consumption on the land’.

The local authority also said the former Top Gear host should remove all portable toilets and all tables that would be used by diners, as well as ‘landscaping materials’.

It described an ‘unlawful’ use of the farm and said its ‘nature, scale and siting is unsustainable and incompatible with its countryside location within the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’.

Furthermore, the town hall has banned the sale of products, except those that are made on the farm, those made within a 16-mile radius of it, or others that the council has allowed. 

Agents working on behalf of Mr Clarkson, 62, and the farm have denied any breach of planning laws and are appealing the order, describing the council’s demands as ‘excessive’ in documents sent last month.

Jeremy Clarkson is appealing an order to close his Diddly Squat cafe and restaurant after council bosses claimed the business breached planning laws

He was told to cease use of any part of the land as a restaurant or cafe, and the general ‘sale or provision of food or drinks to members of the public for consumption on the land’

Bosses added that the map of the site produced by the council was incorrect and claimed the notice period provided wasn’t long enough to carry out the work required.

The appeal reads: ‘The suggested six week period is too short and would have serious and detrimental impacts on the business and livelihoods of those employed at the site. Six months is a more reasonable timeframe.’

The agents concluded that the order ‘should be quashed in its entirety as a result’.

Papers served by the Planning Inspectorate show it has accepted Mr Clarkson’s appeal as valid and that representations must be made in coming weeks. 

Mr Clarkson’s restaurant had only just opened earlier this summer after months of wrangling, claiming a ‘delightful little loophole’ had allowed him to circumvent traditional planning laws.

The outspoken television star had previously blasted locals who ‘wear red trousers’ for objecting the lofty development plans for his successful Diddly Squat enterprise.

It is believed Mr Clarkson made changes to a barn on his land using a clause which allows the use of farm structures to be tweaked from their original purpose without council-approved planning permission.

But WODC said in August it was investigating the restaurant after councillors rejected its initial planning application in January.

One council source, who refused to comment on the local authority’s ongoing investigation, told MailOnline at the time: ‘The council’s view is that the same planning rules should apply to everybody.

‘We will treat Jeremy Clarkson in the exact same way as any other resident of West Oxfordshire.’

On Clarkson’s Farm, the star works on his 1,000 acre plot of land, located between Chipping Norton and Chadlington in the idyllic Cotswolds countryside in Oxfordshire.

The former petrol-head appears to have settled for a serene farming lifestyle as part of his new hit Amazon Prime series.

But the show’s roaring success – and the opening of the popular farm shop – created chaos for villagers who complained of visitors clogging up the country roads.

Mr Clarkson’s representatives have been approached for further comment. 

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