Clarkson’s Farm has just inspired a law change for farmers everywhere – all the details
Jeremy Clarkson and his Prime Video series Clarkson’s Farm has just helped change the law that has proven rather tricky for Diddly Squat over the years.
Dubbed the ‘Clarkson’s Clause’, the new planning laws from the UK government have slashed the red tape that farmers often face when it comes to converting unused farm buildings.
Farmers will now be able to change those unused buildings into new homes and shops without having to apply for planning permission first, in a bid to “diversify and grow” businesses “without having to spend time and money on submitting a planning application.”
The change in policy comes after Clarkson battled against West Oxfordshire District Council on Clarkson’s Farm in 2022 after they shut down his Diddly Squat Farm restaurant when it was opened without planning permission.
The former
Top Gear
The presenter also fought against the local council after he tried to extend the car park at his shop due to a rise in customers. The local council allowed that extension but kept their decision over the restaurant.
With the law updated, it could be that Jeremy will move quickly to get his restaurant back open, given that the government listed “lucrative businesses” including, “larger farm shops and farm training” in their decision.
Discussing the new laws, Farming Minister Mark Spencer said: “I am extremely pleased to support our farmers and provide them the freedom to decide the best uses for buildings on their land, without needless bureaucracy holding them back.
“We are listening to farmers and putting them at the heart of future development of our rural areas. Helping farmers secure their businesses and get on with the important job of producing food is our top priority.”
Clarkson’s Farm returned for series three on Prime Video earlier this month, and The Grand Tour host insisted those council arguments and planning battles are what make the agricultural series “genuine reality television.”
Speaking during a Q+A with virginradio.co.uk and other press, Jeremy explained: “It’s not hosted by somebody in purple spectacles with a zany jacket, it’s absolutely real. What you see actually happens, and none of it is planned.
Contrasting it to the glossy production of driving travel series
The Grand Tour where “everything was planned”, the broadcaster elaborated: “Nothing is planned on this, I have no script. Every single day when we meet to do filming, every day we’ll have a vague idea of what we need to do.”
