‘I live near Clarkson’s Farm and have one issue with Jeremy Clarkson’

Locals in Jeremy Clarkson’s Cotswolds village have recently shared their frustrations
Jeremy Clarkson’s popular Prime Video show, Clarkson’s Farm, is being cited as one of the contributors to local resistance against proposed plans for 350 new homes in the Cotswolds.

The former Top Gear presenter is among the many famous faces who have brought fresh eyes to the Cotswolds and renewed interest in the sleepy village.

As well as Jeremy, other celebrities such as David Beckham, Kate Moss, Stephen Fry, and Ellen DeGeneres have brought renewed fame to the tranquil village by buying properties there.

These developments, alongside the opening of the Diddly Squat Farm Shop and Jeremy’s Farmer’s Dog pub, have further increased the tourist footfall, sparking a housing demand that strains local facilities and services, reports the Express.

The proposed building of 350 homes has particularly aggravated residents, who are expressing their frustration over the situation.

56-year-old bricklayer Scott Sumners, a Chipping Norton native, pointed the finger at personalities like Jeremy for diminishing the quality of life in his home town.

Recalling an exchange observed between Jeremy and another local at a petrol station, Scott shared his disapproval of the celebrity’s conduct.

“A man went up to him and said ‘hello Jeremy’, but he just replied ‘That’s Mr Clarkson to you.’ I didn’t like that. There’s no need to be rude,” he told the Daily Mail.

Meanwhile, some residents who were initially drawn to the area by Jeremy Clarkson’s farm are now rethinking their choice to move.

Bianca, a local who settled near the proposed Rainier development, was swayed by her admiration for Jeremy, and relocated to Chipping Norton just weeks after binging Clarkson’s Farm.

She shared: “I moved here because of Jeremy, but I’m probably going back to London. There’s literally nothing here. I feel like I probably didn’t do enough research. I probably should have stayed here in a hotel for a week first to see what it was like.”

Much to locals’ dismay, the latest proposed development would turn three fields next to the town’s historic cricket club into hundreds of new homes.

Rainier Developments has submitted a scoping report to West Oxfordshire District Council in advance of the potentially 350-home planning application.

The site is also neighboured by another development of around 90 homes and infrastructure that was approved by the council in 2023.