Jeremy Clarkson forced to shut restaurant on Diddly Squat farm after locals grumble about 'theme park'
8 January 2023, 11:11
Jeremy Clarkson has been forced to shut his restaurant on Diddly Squat farm after council bosses intervened.
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He opened the food outlet in a barn on hits Cotswolds farm last year, citing what he described as a loophole in development rules.
But locals near Clarkson's farm - now famous for the Amazon series of the same name - have complained.
Residents of Chadlington in Oxfordshire say the traffic and disruption the attraction has brought are not in keeping with the otherwise quiet area.
The Mirror says West Oxfordshire District Council has clamped down on it, with Mr Clarkson admitting defeat.
"It is a win for the community. I would like the whole thing shut down. We are just a small village and Diddly Squat Farm is in the wrong place," a resident said.
"We don't need a theme park in an area of natural beauty. The new year was ridiculous. You'd spend about 20 minutes trying to get into town."
But the farm has proved a smash hit with visitors, with fans of Mr Clarkson and his work travelling to enjoy a pint at Diddly Squat and take in the countryside.
Parish councillor Ann Gate told West Oxfordshire that there are "quietly supportive local residents" who praise Mr Clarkson for using his fame to draw attention to farming.
Mr Clarkson has not addressed the issue on his Twitter account yet.
He has kept a low profile since he stirred up controversy in a column about Meghan Markle, in which he said he dreamed of seeing her forced to walk naked through the streets as excrement was thrown at her.
He was referencing a famous scene from fantasy TV series Game of Thrones but his article had thousands of complaints sent about it to press regulator Ipso.
He apologised in December, shortly after it was published, saying: "Oh dear. I've rather put my foot in it. In a column I wrote about Meghan, I made a clumsy reference to a scene in Game of Thrones and this has gone down badly with a great many people.
"I'm horrified to have caused so much hurt and I shall be more careful in future."
