Jeremy Clarkson's bid for car park at Diddly Squat farm shop backed by parents ... trends now
Neighbours of Jeremy Clarkson's Diddly Squat farm have come together to back his plans for a new temporary car park - as they say visitors to the site are posing a danger amid the lack of a safe place to stop.
The television presenter is currently applying for a temporary car park at his farm after his original plans for a permanent one were blocked.
He has applied for planning permission to use a 60m by 32m area field adjacent to the farm shop for around 70 vehicles until January 2025.
And in planning documents linked to his latest application, neighbours have pleaded with West Oxfordshire District Council to allow it to proceed as the number of visitors with nowhere to legally park is allegedly causing major safety issues.
Parents on the school-run say they routinely have 'nowhere to go' and one mother claims she even had to crash into a hedge last week to avoid a serious collision.
Visitors walk down the road as scores of cars are parked on grass verges near Diddly Squat farm - picture from March 17
The farm's lack of suitable facilities to cater for such an influx of customers is again laid bare
Jeremy Clarkson outside his Diddly Squat farm shop in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire
One neighbour who lives directly opposite said: 'I and at least ten others drive past four times a day to take our children to and from Chadlington School.
'I have absolutely no objection to Mr Clarkson's farm, farm shop or restaurant and wish him all the luck with it, the problem I and many others have is the parking.
'Many times we've not been able to get to and from the school where visitors to Diddly Squat have parked both sides of the verges, not allowing space for cars to drive past and certainly no space should an emergency vehicle need to get through, posing a significant risk to residents of Chadlington.'
They continued: 'Many times I've had to come to a sudden and abrupt stop as parked cars have swung open doors onto the road without looking and other times as people just walk out into the road between the parked cars.
'Just last week a mini bus 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 mini bus head on.
'My children were in the car on the way home from school and shaken up - the mini bus 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.'
Her calls were echoed by several other neighbours.
A number of cars were left on boggy mounds on the side of a road outside Diddly Squat which have deteriorated as more and more people flock to visit - pictured on March 17
Scores of vehicles again descended on the popular Oxfordshire site last week, with
