Jeremy Clarkson Takes A Dig At The Council For Latest Dismissal

Jeremy Clarkson has taken a dig at the West Oxfordshire District Council after his plans to grow trees on his property were discouraged by the authority. Revealing that he received a “missive” from the council, the British farmer and co-presenter of The Grand Tour took to his column to express the irony as the government has encouraged the use of timber to build new homes.

Clarkson has locked horns with the council on several instances in the past for reasons such as the roof of his farm shop or the expansion of the Diddly Squat Farm Shop car park. Not to forget the complications involved in obtaining permission for a restaurant in the same location.

The spats were well documented on the series Clarkson’s Farm on Amazon Prime. Now though, the former Top Gear host has called out Environment Secretary Steve Barclay’s plans to encourage people to use more timber in the building of new homes as a part of the government’s plans to deal with climate change. Here’s what officials have stated to encourage the use of timber:

“Increased timber construction in England is an opportunity to increase demand for homegrown timber, driving more domestic tree-planting.”

Clarkson however, made the most of this opportunity to highlight that while the government was promoting the use of timber, he was not permitted to grow trees on his property. The 63-year-old presenter also suggested using stone instead. Taking to his Sunday Times Column for the rant, here’s what he said:

“I recently received a missive from West Oxfordshire district council telling me that my plans to plant some trees must be scaled back.

“I’m not making that up, by the way.”

Adding further that the idea of wooden homes should be canceled, he wrote:

“The upshot is that if we can find people to plant trees, and we can’t, and the trees survive, which they won’t, then what?

“We start building little wooden houses, like beach shacks, for families to live in. I find that incredibly defeatist but tragically, indicative of the times…

“I have a better idea. Let’s not. Let’s use stone instead because there’s a limitless supply. You’re literally standing on it every time you go outside.

“And it can’t be eaten by deer or squirrels or worms, and contrary to what Steve Barclay might think, it’s an environmental irrelevance because it’s inert.”