Diddly Squat Farm Shop - appeal by Jeremy Clarkson

Peter Wadsley acted for West Oxfordshire District Council in one aspect of the long-running planning dispute between Jeremy Clarkson and the Council.   This concerned an enforcement notice issued by the Council to stop the use of the site for various uses outside the scope of the existing planning permission. The hearing lasted two-days.

The existing farm shop and some ancillary activities had expanded until it was changing materially from its original, permitted purposes.  It also incidentally attracted large numbers of visitors who caused serious congestion on the existing roads and caused real difficulties for residents.   The result was that the Inspector granted permission for the use of an additional car-parking area for a limited period of 3 years, intended to ease congestion on the rural roads, even though the site was in the AONB.   He also granted a limited permission (3 years) for a small café attached to the lambing shed.   However, the enforcement notice was upheld in relation to the unauthorised use of the site for other activities and also prohibited the use of a disused farm building called the Lowland Barn, distant from the existing shop and lambing shed, as a restaurant.