Jeremy Clarkson
(Picture: PA)Jeremy Clarkson’s restaurant, Diddly Squat, is being investigated by the local council after he said he found a “loophole” to open it.
The Top Gear star told fans he had found a “delightful little loophole” to open the restaurant last month despite planning permission being turned down.
On Monday, a West Oxfordshire District Council spokesperson said: “The Council was made aware of the restaurant opening at Diddly Squat Farm.
“As part of our standard operating procedure we have been looking into the operation to ensure it is compliant with local and national planning law and policies, as well as licensing and food hygiene regulations.
“We can not comment on any ongoing investigations.”
Seven out of ten councillors sitting on a planning committee for the area had rejected Clarkson’s initial restaurant plans.
Speaking last month after initial planning permission was rejected, Clarkson told the Sun: “We aren’t able to open the restaurant where we wanted to put it and where it’s sensible to have it.
“But there is another barn in one of our fields that met various different criteria and we just told the council we were opening a restaurant there. You don’t need to ask permission.
“It’s so satisfying to be thwarted at every turn by the council and then find a loophole.”
The restaurant is available for booking at the 62-year-old’s Diddly Squat Farmshop in Chadlington, Oxfordshire.
In a description of the restaurant, Clarkson warns it is “rustic” and “very small”.
“Before making your booking, you should know it’s small, mostly outdoors and very rustic,” states an online ad on website OpenTable.
“We even have a tiny VIP room in an old shepherd’s hut. This seats four (just) but it is dry and warmer than outside.”
The establishment serves “simply what’s available that day”.
“Ordering a beer or going to the lavatory isn’t as easy as in your local pub and we don’t cater to the faddy,” it adds.
“We’ve done our best to keep you warm and dry, but this is England.
“On the upside, the view is enormous and almost everything you eat was grown or reared on our farm, so it’s fresh with minimal food miles.”
A representative for Clarkson has been contacted for comment.
