Jeremy Clarkson has been accused of 'undermining' small businesses by attempting to loosen restrictions on sourcing only local produce for his farm shop, writes Tom Bevan.

The TV host, 60, was granted planning permission for his Diddly Squat Farm on the condition that he could only sell goods by 'local people'.

However his representatives have sought the lifting of restrictions by increasing the designated area he could source items from ten-fold.

This included meat, vegetables, fruit, flowers, bread and cakes, eggs and dairy products as well as farm and woodland based products.

Chadlington Parish Council launched a scathing attack on Clarkson stating his proposals would undermine the "viability" of businesses within the Oxfordshire village including the local shop, butchers and a cafe.

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West Oxfordshire District Council have now granted a variation on the condition but only increased the radius to one of 16 miles - around half the 30 miles that Clarkson's team had applied for.

In its objection, Gill Hill, clerk to Chadlington Parish Council, said: "Much of this could not be considered as being 'in the locality.'

"The large increase in area, within which goods can be sourced and sold, is unreasonable and is likely to result in the undermining the viability of existing shops in the village, namely Chadlington Quality Foods, Chadlington Butchers and The Cafe De La Post.

"Our concern must be to support the existing shops in the village. These facilities are essential to many, particularly those who rely on being able to walk to them."

The parish council objected to the applicant's claims the farmshop should be treated as a Market Co-operative and benefit from a 30 mile radius.

The spokesperson added: "It is a permanent shop that will be in competition with the local shops of the village. For these reasons the Parish Council objects to the variation of the condition."

Original regulations stated that things sold at the store ''shall be solely limited to goods and produce grown, reared and produced on the holding or from local producers''.

This restriction was designated as the West Oxfordshire District boundaries, which represented an area of 275sq miles.

Clarkson's team's proposed extension to 30 miles would cover a total of 2828sq miles.

A spokesperson for the applicants said: "We do not challenge the intent of the condition to limit the goods sold from the premises to a limited area, but do submit that it may be met in a different way.

"There are a number of alternatives that are employed elsewhere, however we consider a reasonable alternative would be to employ a condition that has a similar effect to that used by the Thames Valley Farmers Market Co-operative.

"The Co-operative have markets in Witney, Woodstock, Charlbury and Chipping Norton and thus serve the local community of this part of the uplands area of West Oxfordshire in a very similar fashion to the farm shop.

"The Co-operative have strict guidelines as to who can sell produce at their markets based. Their definition of a local producer is based on a radius of 30 miles from the market location. We propose to substitute that for the District boundary in varying this condition."

West Oxfordshire District Council granted removal of the condition - but limited the distance to a radius of 16 miles.

In publishing the decision, a spokesperson acknowledged this was an "exception to the normal policies of restraint upon retailing in an open countryside location."

But they added: "This was solely on the basis that the nature of the goods sold being ancillary and related to the farming operations in the locality."

It is understood that Clarkson is set to front an Amazon Prime series about his experiences with farming as as "inept townie".