Parents have endorsed Jeremy Clarkson’s parking attempt, noting visitors parked on roads as posing “safety threats” to schoolchildren.
The 62-year-old Grand Tour host has been at odds with West Oxfordshire District Council (WODC), which has previously issued enforcement warnings to Diddly Squat.
The current squabble, which has resulted in ‘abusive death threats’ to council members, revolves on the former Top Gear host’s desire to extend the car park at his on-site business near Chipping Norton.
Meanwhile, Clarkson’s teenage farm employees have been compelled to wear body cameras after receiving criticism and antagonism from locals during the incident.
While the broadcaster’s new endeavour into agriculture has not gone well with everyone, some of his neighbours are supportive of his new job and want the car park plans to move through.
Concerns parents, on the WDOC’s planning application portal, have called for the proposals to be pushed through because the surplus traffic, which park on local roads, are an accident risk.
Victoria Shepherd said: ‘Just last week a minibus drove around a parked coach onto my side of the road and I had to drive into the hedge to avoid being hit by the minibus head-on!
‘My children were in the car on the way home from school and shaken up – the minibus driver did not stop to check us. Thankfully we were all OK and my husband repaired our car.
‘Mr Clarkson needs permission for a car park as the parking on the road and verges is a massive safety risk to the residents of Chadlington and to the visitors of Diddly Squat.’
Echoing Victoria’s sentiments, Miss V Bunyan explained that the lack of planning permission for the car park is ‘causing a lot of safety risks along the road into Chadlington.’
She continued: ‘There have been many occurrences of not being able to get to Chadlington due to vehicles parked both sides of the verges and leaving no gap for a car to get through.
‘Visitors to Diddly Squat walk in the roads not looking for oncoming traffic and I’m surprised no one has been in an accident as yet!
Similarly, Dr Matthew Scroggs said: ‘A sensible and just application to manage visitors to Diddly Squat and importantly keep the Chipping Norton road clear and safe.’
Clarkson, who bought the farm in 2008 and took over management in 2019, drew a negative response from several residents when he extended the company to include a farm store and restaurant.
He earlier stated that there were ‘plenty’ of other residents who seemed more accepting, if not enthusiastic, to his efforts.
Clarkson challenged the restaurant’s closure order last year after West Oxfordshire District Council rejected two planning applications.
In a letter to the council in January, he stated that he ‘no longer longed’ for a restaurant and instead wanted to create on-site parking.
Clarkson’s Farm is available to stream on Amazon Prime.
