Love him or loathe him, Jeremy Clarkson highlights a HUGE number of issues faced by the farming community on Amazon’s Clarkson’s Farm.

The show not only covers the challenges of day to day farming and running a business, but it also highlights the planning system, some of the idiosyncratic people involved in it and the actions taken by some to prevent planning permission being granted.

The hit reality show highlights the challenges of the planning system

It may only be a light-hearted family entertainment TV show, but it provides real insight into the current struggles facing our farmers.

An enormous part of the series centres on the challenges of getting planning permission for diversification and Clarkson has managed to show to millions of viewers the absurdity of our planning system.

I’m a farmer’s daughter and I’m well aware of the challenges the farming community face and the need for diversification, which in turn in many cases is vital to supporting the ongoing vitality and economic viability of a farm.

Dawn Adams

Clark’s frustrations as he works to ensure the long term success of the farm included changing the green tin roof of his farm shop to more expensive slate, being prohibited from building a farm track or car park, or from selling milk from five miles away.

The main focus however, is around his desire to diversify further and open a restaurant selling locally grown produce.

New development and existing communities

He failed however, to appreciate the strength of feeling that development of any kind can generate in local communities.

Clarkson went on a charm offensive, with a visit to the parish hall attempting to quell the waves of discontentment with wine and cheese, he was heckled by attendees whilst consuming his wine and cheese in-between.

Hostility is not an uncommon experience for many planning professionals at these types of public consultations.

Then, things got really interesting, with Clarkson’s application called to Planning Committee and democracy was shown in all its glory.

One objector paid out for a specialist Planning Barrister to present this case before the Committee. It may have been selective editing for television, but the debate appeared to swing between supporting diversification and the impact on the Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), specifically the impact of new lights on the dark skies.

Now this is where the absurdity of it all becomes apparent!

Whether the application is to convert a barn or build 1,000 new homes, the applicants get their three minutes to argue their case and persuade the voted representative Councillors who sit on the Planning Committee to support their application.

These are Councillors who in many cases have no experience in development or planning before they sit on Committee, and are only required to undertake only basic mandatory training.

They too may or may not have read in detail the Planning Officer’s (a professional employed by the Council to deal with applications) report or digested the 1000’s pages of reports and surveys that make up a planning application.

But they will have undoubtedly listened to the local residents objecting and who voices are disproportionately loud as they place every conceivable obstacle in the way of change.

Past research by Shelter has found people who are opposed to local housing are three times more likely to actively oppose than supporters are to actively support an application (21% compared to 75). 

Although this evidence relates to housing, the same is true in our experience in relation to any development.
Farmers Land

Development done in the right way helps bring forward investment in local services and facilities from highways improvements, education and health services to providing new facilities, job creation and additional spend in local communities. There are also the environmental benefits which can be achieved such as energy efficient buildings, sustainable transport options and the creation and planting of new wildlife habitats.

A balance is needed and the key to success is highlighting a developments strengths and finding ways to resolve its weaknesses.

Clarkson’s Farm is designed to entertain, but beneath the banter and smutty innuendo, Clarkson has been shining a light on the challenges facing rural communities. 

Farmers Land Site

The in-house planning team at Catesby Estates are well acquainted with the planning system, if you want to find out more and discover if your land has planning potential, please get in touch for a no obligation and confidential chat.

Find out more about Dawn and the land team here.

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