Clarkson's Farm star Jeremy Clarkson has scored a win in his ongoing planning permission rows. The 65-year-old has had long-running, contentious planning battles with West Oxfordshire District Council over his Diddly Squat Farm, primarily regarding restaurant use and parking. When he opened his Farmer's Dog pub in August 2024, the disagreements extended to the venue's car park.

Despite earning a mere £150 in the first year of running Diddly Squat Farm, and saying in December 2024 behind the scenes "everything is a total disaster" the boozer has proved a hugely successful enterprise with fans, which meant he required extra parking to maintian profits. He rented out a neighbouring farmer's field as an overflow car park for the hundreds of vehicles which arrived each day. He then retrospectively applied to West Oxfordshire District Council for planning permission to keep the overflow car park, which can hold up to 360 cars, for at least a few years. In his application, he argued that granting the planning permission would help prevent gridlock on the surrounding country lanes.

The council reportedly agreed with this take, with The Sun confirming he has been given permission to use the space as an overflow car park until December 31, 2029. "Having previously engaged in discussions about the car park and the barrow, we are pleased to see that an application has now been submitted," said Historic England.

This isn't the first time Jeremy has been at the centre over his pub's car parking. In January this year, it was revealed that he had emerged victorious after seekingapproval to install hard surfacing across both car parks at the premises in Burford, Oxfordshire.

After waiting for a year, he received permission to go ahead with the works with planning officer Kelly Murray noting: "The number of visitors to the site is reportedly causing congestion along the A40 and also within the village of Asthall itself.

"Given, however, the established lawful use of the venue as a pub and restaurant, it is not within the scope of the local planning authority's planning powers to prevent impacts arising from the unusual level of public interest specific to this establishment.

"It is clear to officers that safe and easily accessible parking must be available off-road in order to discourage the public from parking on the side of the A40, or on the road leading to Asthall - which it seems probable they would otherwise do. It is likely that both of these alternative scenarios would jeopardise pedestrian safety, cause traffic obstruction, further congestion and would be likely to damage highway verges to the detriment of the unspoiled rural character of the area."

Murray highlighted the parking chaos at Clarkson's Diddly Squat Farm shop as evidence of why adequate parking facilities are essential to prevent mayhem.

She continued: "Such a situation has arisen at Diddly Squat Farm which attracts a similarly high number of visitors -whose impact has transformed the roadside verges - and this illustrates the type and level of adverse impacts which are demonstrated as arising from inadequate public parking provision."

The ruling concluded by stating: "[The] public interest in granting permission outweighs any slight harm caused [by the expansion of the pub]."