Council denies Clarkson's claims it was 'awkward'

A council has denied Jeremy Clarkson's claims its representatives were "awkward" and "had nothing positive to say" about his plans to buy a country pub.

Clarkson revealed he was considering purchasing the Coach and Horses Inn, in Bourton-on-the-Water, in an episode of his show Clarkson's Farm.

After attending a pre-planning application meeting, he criticised Cotswold District Council and said it seemed "worried" he would make the pub a success.

The council has told the BBC it "absolutely refutes" Clarkson's claims, adding it had "several positive meetings" about the proposals and later received a thank you email from his planning agent.

The Grade II-listed Coach and Horses Inn, which remains closed, dates back to the 18th Century and sits opposite Clarkson's Hawkstone Brewery on the A429 Stow Road.

The former Top Gear presenter also owns Diddly Squat Farm in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds - the subject of his Prime Video series - and has previously been involved in planning rows with West Oxfordshire District Council.

Prior to Clarkson's meeting with Cotswold District Council, he had a meeting at Shire Hall with Gloucestershire County Council, who said it was "pro-business and pro-tourism" and appeared generally supportive of his plans.

However, Clarkson was then filmed discussing the outcome of his meeting with the district council in a Cirencester café.

"We had a man from Bourton council and he just didn't have a single positive thing to say," Clarkson said.

"People are going to come... I know they are, that's the point of a pub."

Bourton Parish Council told the BBC it was not represented at the meeting.

"Jeremy's references to who was involved are a bit vague and unclear," it added.

Clarkson said the pub had "failed" after being owned by eight different people over 12 years, but claimed the district council was "worried" his ownership would "bring a lot of people" to the area.

A spokesperson for Cotswold District Council said: "We absolutely refute that any of the officers or councillors involved in working with Jeremy to realise his vision for the Coach and Horses had 'absolutely nothing positive to say' or were awkward."

They added: "There were in fact several positive meetings between Jeremy and his team, and willing officers and councillors at Cotswold District Council.

"These discussions explored how challenges to renovating this pub could be overcome, as part of the pre-application stage of this project. A planning application was never submitted.

"Upon deciding not to pursue purchase of the pub, Jeremy sent an email via his planning agent thanking the council for being 'so open and supportive', and for trying to find solutions to some of the hurdles needed to overcome renovation of the pub. He stated that 'the march of time and the feasibility of getting this done within a window that works for television' had been the project's undoing."

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