Farm store planning rule easing not focused at Jeremy Clarkson row, says No 10
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transfer to calm down planning guidelines round setting-up farm retailers shouldn’t be focused at TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson’s run-ins on his personal agricultural land, No 10 has mentioned.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Environment Secretary Therese Coffey unveiled a bundle of measures to spice up the farming sector forward of Tuesday’s UK Farm to Fork summit.
One of the measures included plans to chop purple tape to make it simpler to repurpose farm buildings to make use of as retailers.
The transfer is predicted to make it less complicated for farmers to ship initiatives which aren’t strictly agricultural to assist them diversify their incomes.
It comes as former Top Gear presenter Clarkson finds himself embroiled in a row over his plans to permit higher customer entry to his farm and its connected store.
The standard programme Clarkson’s Farm on Amazon Prime, which paperwork the workings of his Diddly Squat farm, a 1,000-acre operation within the Cotswolds, has sparked curiosity from vacationers in looking for out the broadcaster’s produce, with queues for the store reportedly a daily incidence.
The 63-year-old desires to increase the automotive park on his Oxfordshire farm plot to accommodate 70 autos however the proposals are opposed by West Oxfordshire District Council.
The council has argued the extension would encourage extra guests to the farm, which sits between Chadlington and Chipping Norton, including to visitors issues within the magnificence spot.
Clarkson has beforehand discovered himself in scorching water along with his native authority over a restaurant on his farm, with the council shutting it down after it was allegedly opened with out planning permission.
Downing Street denied that the proposal to make it simpler to show farm buildings into retail areas had been made with Clarkson’s issues in thoughts.
But Mr Sunak referred to Diddly Squat in his speech to summit attendees together with farming contractor Kaleb Cooper, who seems in Clarkson’s Farm.
In opening remarks shared by No 10, Mr Sunak advised representatives of the meals trade: “We want to give British farmers greater freedoms to make the best use of their existing buildings, whether that’s for a Diddly Squat-style farm shop or a processing facility.
“So we’re going to consult on targeted changes to the planning system that enable exactly that and support our rural economy.”
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman, going through questions concerning the function Clarkson’s farm store dispute had performed within the coverage announcement, mentioned: “That’s a high-profile example of some of the challenges the sector has faced, but obviously this is not policy targeted to one individual.
“It’s an issue that we know that has been raised by the farming sector.”
Mr Sunak’s spokesman mentioned extra data can be given after a session has taken place later this 12 months.
Setting out the coverage, the No 10 official mentioned: “The idea is that farmers will not have to get local authority consent, effectively, when they are trying to diversify their businesses — whether that’s shops, farm shops, that kind of thing.
“Obviously there are other examples currently where people go through local authorities, we know that has posed challenges for some.”