Jeremy Clarkson's farm Diddly Squat car park expansion refused

TV personality Jeremy Clarkson's application to extend a car park at his farm has been refused.

He wanted to increase the number of spaces at his Diddly Squat Farm, in Chadlington, Oxfordshire, from 10 to 70.

The plan also included new entry and exit points off Chipping Norton Road and a storage compound.

The farm and its staff are featured in Clarkson's Amazon Prime Video documentary series, Clarkson's Farm.

West Oxfordshire District Council (WODC) refused the proposal and said it would have been "visually intrusive".

A plan for a new restaurant on the site was rejected by the authority in January.

While there was some support from residents for the bigger car park, Chadlington Parish Council said it was "concerned" that the development would have had a "harmful impact on the environment and the local area" and asked for it to be refused.

WODC said in its decision notice published on Friday that the location, size and design of the plan would not have been "compatible or consistent in scale with the existing farming business or its open countryside location".

It said it would also have had a "harmful impact on the rural character, scenic beauty and tranquillity of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty".

But the proposal did have some support from within the council.

Its tourism and business support manager, Sally Graff, said the improved car park would have "enabled the safe flow of vehicles on and off the main highway" and "help to prevent" parking problems.

"The overall farm shop complex brings benefits of trade to the wider visitor economy and fits within the Cotswolds destination management plan's aims and objectives," she said.

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