‘Clarkson’s farm needs a car park!’ Racing driver Alice Powell shares video of dozens of vehicles parked on side of busy country road telling council they are ‘putting lives at risk’ – ahead of planning permission meeting with Amazon show host
Alice Powell told the local council that ‘Clarkson’s farm needs a car park’ as she recorded dozens of vehicles parked on the side of the busy country road.
The British racing driver shared a video on Twitter expressing her frustration with fans of Clarkson’s Farm parking on the main road in Chadlington, West Oxfordshire.
The video captured by the 30-year-old reveals a stream of cars parked on the side of the busy country road when the existing car park is full.
She wrote: ‘And this, ladies and gentlemen, is why @JeremyClarkson #DiddleySquatFarm needs a car park!! Parking on a main, busy road and also on private property to get off the road. @OxfordshireCC come on, putting lives at bloody risk.’
In response to the tweet, Jeremy Clarkson, 62, revealed his team now has a hearing on March 14 to reopen the discussion for planning permission.
British racing driver Alice Powell, 30, expressed her frustration with fans of Clarkson’s Farm parking on the main road in Chadlington, West Oxfordshire
Jeremy Clarkson, 62, revealed his team now has a hearing on March 14 to reopen the discussion for planning permission to expand parking spaces on the farm
Mr Clarkson’s previous application in May last year to extend the car park from 10 to 70 spaces at his farm was refused
He said: ‘We have a hearing on Tuesday. Fingers crossed.’
To which Miss Powell responded: ‘Fingers crossed’.
Mr Clarkson’s previous application in May last year to extend the car park from 10 to 70 spaces at his farm was refused.
The plan also included new entry and exit points off Chipping Norton Road and a storage compound, but it was refused by West Oxfordshire District Council which said it would have been ‘visually intrusive’.
The farm shop reopened on February 10 following the release of season two of the Amazon Prime show.
Since high volumes of traffic have appeared in rural areas around the farm, the local council have proposed to implement no waiting restrictions, the equivalent of double yellow lines, on the A361 and Chipping Norton Road.
A written response from Diddly Squat Farm said the measures ‘would have a fairly dramatic impact on our farm shop’ and recommended holding off until after the planning enforcement appeal, stating that an extension to the car park would solve the problem.
It added: ‘We must also consider what would happen if we ended up with parking restrictions on the road and no car park.
The racing driver told the Oxfordshire council that the parked cars were putting lives at risk
The video reveals a long stream of cars parked on the side of the busy country road
‘People would still come in great numbers and would have to park somewhere. West Oxfordshire District Council has made it very plain I can’t use any of my fields so what’s the alternative? Chadlington?’
Council officials previously warned people not to cause any traffic chaos by parking by the farm.
Sharing a picture of damaged verges next to the site, Oxfordshire County Council posted: ‘If you’re visiting Jeremy Clarkson’s Diddly Squat Farm Shop in Chadlington from tomorrow, please park safely and considerately. Don’t park on the A361. It’s just too dangerous.
‘And please avoid parking on the verges of the narrow Chipping Norton Road as it causes damage.’
Mr Clarkson bought the farm in 2008, but only took over the running of it himself in 2019.
People were warned by the council not to cause traffic chaos by parking near Jeremy Clarkson’s Diddly Squat Farm (pictured)
