Visitors to Jeremy Clarkson's Diddly Squat farm chew up grass verges with their ... trends now
Visitors to Jeremy Clarkson's Diddly Squat farm chewed up grass verges with their 4x4s today as a row over a new car park intensifies among locals.
Scores of vehicles again descended on the popular Oxfordshire site this morning, with long queues forming outside the Amazon presenter's farm shop.
But as its popularity continues to soar, the farm's lack of suitable facilities to cater for such an influx of customers was again laid bare.
A number of cars were left on boggy mounds on the side of a road outside Diddly Squat which have deteriorated in recent days as more and more people flock to visit.
Clarkson remains locked in a planning appeal battle with West Oxfordshire District Council, which refused to grant permission for him to extend the shop's car park in May last year.
Visitors to Jeremy Clarkson's Diddly Squat farm chewed up grass verges with their 4x4s today as a row over a new car park intensifies among locals
Scores of vehicles again descended on the popular Oxfordshire site this morning, with long queues forming outside the Amazon presenter's farm shop
But as its popularity continues to soar, the farm's lack of suitable facilities to cater for such an influx of customers was again laid bare
Jeremy Clarkson was seen being filmed by a camera crew on his Diddly Squat farm in Oxfordshire yesterday. The former Top Gear star is pictured with partner Lisa Hogan
A two-day Planning Inspectorate meeting was held this week to consider proposals by the 62-year-old former Top Gear presenter to accommodate 70 more vehicles.
The plans are opposed by WODC on the grounds that it would encourage more visitors to Diddly Squat farm - which sits between Chadlington and Chipping Norton - adding to traffic problems.
The council has also said allowing more vehicles would further disturb the tranquility of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Taking to Twitter, Clarkson said the recent furore 'makes it sound like a civil war is raging', but insisted 'a compromise will be reached'.
It comes after it was revealed teenage workers at Diddly Squat have to wear bodycams to record abuse directed at them from angry locals over the influx of visitors.
Annabel Gray, 32, who works on a catering trailer at Clarkson's farm, said this week that workers as young as 16 on the farm have had to have cameras installed on their uniforms.
She also responded to a complaint made in a meeting by Chadlington resident Hilary Moore who described tourists attracted to the farm as 'motorheads' who drive slowly on surrounding roads to 'show off their cars'.
But Ms Gray said this description was 'unfair', and that she had 'witnessed local people' adding to traffic issues by driving slowly too.
