At Diddly Squat Farm Shop in Chipping Norton, plans for expansion and development have ground to a halt. Viewers of Prime Video’s much-lauded Clarkson’s Farm will be aware of the headline-grabbing saga and the ongoing planning dispute between Jeremy Clarkson and West Oxfordshire District Council. Others may find it easy to skim past media reports of a celebrity hoping to boost profits at his latest venture.

For farmers nationwide, however, the themes of the story are all too familiar.

Clarkson is campaigning to expand the car park at his farm shop and open a restaurant on site, which will serve his produce. The local planning authority has denied planning permission for the change of use of a lambing shed and denied his request to build a car park on an adjacent field. Locals complain of excess traffic blocking roads and Clarkson fans disrupting village life.

At the heart of the issue – though often forgotten in the reporting – is the need for development and diversification if farming as an industry is to survive. In December 2022, the National Farmers Union (NFU) reported that the UK had lost c.7,000 agricultural businesses since 2019. The price of feed, fertiliser and fuel are devastating profits, while labour shortages post-Brexit mean that crops – and income – are rotting in fields. Diddly Squat Farm Shop made just £144.00 profit during Clarkson’s first year at the helm, as revealed in a particularly sober scene in the series.

Meanwhile, crop shortages threaten food security, and national conversation presses the need for sustainability. Rural communities are struggling, with limited opportunities and infrastructure driving people and businesses towards urban hubs, contributing to stagnation. Commercial pressures are felt as keenly as the climate crisis and the need for change is evident, urgent, and widespread.

With the developing needs of modern farmers, it stands to reason that farms themselves may need to change. From crop, feed and fertiliser storage to housing for workers, new farming techniques to advanced technology, improved infrastructure to additional revenue streams and mounting costs, there is a myriad of ways for the physicality of a farm to change and reasons for doing so.

What is essential, if we are to shore up an industry that feeds 70 million people in the UK, takes responsibility for huge swathes of British land, and feels and reacts to the impact of climate change more than any other industry, is flexibility and support.

If farmers are to adopt innovation and adapt to change, we need pragmatism in planning. Agricultural businesses should be encouraged to invest in strategies that aid food security, environmental best practice, and a sustainable farming sector – which requires flexibility in planning decisions.

We need a more creative approach to how we use the UK’s farming land in a way that protects livelihoods and food security alongside the environment. The solution must include a planning process that supports new farming methods and efficient land use. At a time of crisis, a realistic approach to planning is critical. Planning legislation that bans a landowner and farmer like Clarkson from running a track through his farm helps nobody.

In the meantime, farmers facing seemingly insurmountable challenges should seek specialist support. During the last 60 years, Acland Bracewell has built strong foundations on strategic land promotion. Using our market knowledge and understanding, we support our clients as they seek planning approval. Our knowledge and expertise stride the channel between the challenges of sustaining an agricultural business and the minutiae of planning law.

The British farming industry is in crisis. Our farmers are asking for help. Our supermarket shelves are thinly stocked. It’s good to see the issues facing British farming being given media coverage, because this is not just about an industry on the brink, it is also a crisis in the food supply chain for all of us, and a huge environmental challenge. 

Pic: Amazon Prime Video