The former Top Gear presenter is facing another planning dispute involving The Farmer’s Dog in Asthall, near Burford, after seeking permission to install hard standing in its car park ahead of winter.
Mr Clarkson opened the pub in 2024 after buying the former Windmill, adding it to his Cotswolds business interests alongside Diddly Squat Farm and its popular farm shop near Chadlington.
Writing in his Sunday Times column, the Clarkson’s Farm star said he had been offered a large quantity of hardcore to use as gravel for the pub car park in an attempt to prevent it becoming a muddy mess during winter.
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Mr Clarkson claimed he was still waiting for approval, saying: “So I’m sitting here today, with the rain falling, and we can’t get permission. We’ve rung. We’ve begged. We’ve pleaded.”
He added: “We’ve explained that if we don’t do the work now, we will lose the hardcore and, all winter, our customers will be dragging tons of mud onto the roads. And all we get back is silence.”
The state of the car park has already attracted attention, with a recent video showing muddy conditions at the site.
Mr Clarkson responded to the footage by saying: “And the council has just told us we can’t put down hardcore.”
The 66-year-old has also raised concerns over uncertainty surrounding his businesses, including Diddly Squat Farm, which he has owned in Chadlington since 2008.
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He said: “Nearly 300 people are employed by my various enterprises these days. And all of them want to know if their jobs are secure.”
“And all we can ever tell them is: ‘We don’t know.'”
Diddly Squat Farm and its farm shop have become widely known through the Prime Video series Clarkson’s Farm, while The Farmer’s Dog expanded Mr Clarkson’s business interests into hospitality.
The pub opened to the public in August 2024 following a renovation of the former Windmill site, with hundreds of visitors queuing when it first opened.
Mr Clarkson has previously described the difficulties of running the business, writing in his book Diddly Squat: The Farmer’s Dog that behind the scenes it had been a “total disaster” and was losing him a “fortune”.
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His latest criticism has focused on the planning system and the number of organisations involved in applications.
Mr Clarkson said: “There’s no doubt that the planning system in this country is broken, and I suspect it’s because far too many people are invited to have an opinion on each application.”
He added: “We cannot allow the current system to go on.”
“We cannot allow so many ill-informed people to have the ability to stop projects.”
Mr Clarkson said that when planning to open The Farmer’s Dog he had to seek approval from bodies including the police, Environment Agency, Historic England, Natural England, the parish council, local water company, highways department and county council.