Jeremy Clarkson appeals against Diddly Squat farm restaurant closure

The broadcaster, whose Diddly Squat farm in Chadlington, Oxfordshire, has been made famous by the Amazon Prime show Clarkson’s Farm, has appealed against the enforcement notice issued by West Oxfordshire District Council (WODC) last summer, which forced the restaurant to close little more than a month after it first opened. 

Liam Walker, who is a Conservative member of the Oxfordshire County Council, confirmed that Clarkson had lodged the appeal on his Twitter account​​ last week. 

Clarkson is also challenging WODC's refusal of planning permission to extend Diddly Squat's farm shop car park.

The hearing for both appeals due to be conducted by the planning inspector in March.

Clarkson originally tried to get planning permission for a farm restaurant last year, but the initial proposals were thrown out by WODC. However, Clarkson proceeded with the project anyway, saying he had ‘found a loophole’ in the regulations.

The restaurant launched in July last year​​ with Hicce chef Pip Lacey leading the kitchen, but was soon ordered to shut​​ after WODC issued an enforcement notice saying the opening of the restaurant represented a 'material change of use'.

The appeal comes despite Clarkson suggesting that he no longer wished to open a restaurant in a letter to the council last month​​.

He said: “On the farming front, I had read about something called mob grazing. This is a highly ecological way of rejuvenating the soil, using the muck from hens and cows, rather than chemical fertilisers.

“The problem was that if I sold the cows in the conventional way, I'd lose about £200 on each one. So I decided that to make a profit, the beef should be cooked and served in a restaurant, which I'd create by converting our lambing barn.

“Permission for this was refused. And our attempts to get round the problem by using permitted development rights, and opening up in our so-called Lowland Barn were thwarted by the enforcement notice we are appealing.

“As a result of this, I've had to sell most of the cows I bought. And now I'm back to using chemicals. I no longer wish to open a restaurant.”

The 40-cover Diddly Squat farm restaurant was housed within a small barn in the middle of a barley field, with the majority of its tables outside. The menu focused on beef from shorthorn cattle and included sticky beef croquettes with aioli and pickled chilli; and roasted topside of beef with vegetable.