Jeremy Clarkson has described the West Oxfordshire District Council meeting that ruled against his restaurant plan as ‘horrific’.

He wrote in a Sunday Times column: "It was horrific.

"They didn’t seem to have any facts to hand and one of them wondered why I couldn’t open the café on someone else’s farm.

"Mostly, though, they seemed to be extremely bothered by the fact that the barn was in an area of outstanding natural beauty, not understanding perhaps that it’s only beautiful because farmers keep it that way.

"They also seemed concerned about how much lighting would be needed and how this would affect the night skies. Not as much as nearby RAF Brize Norton does, I thought, but I wasn’t allowed to speak."

Mr Clarkson had dreams of a new restaurant on the site of his farm shop at Diddly Squat Farm near Chadlington.

The presenter, whose hit show Clarkson’s Farm has brought fans to the area from far and wide, attended the planning meeting with his land agent Charlie Ireland who also appears on the show.

Before climbing into his Range Rover he described Phil Shaw, an official who recommended that councillors refuse the application, as looking like the late comedian Eric Morecambe.

“He wasn’t as funny as Eric Morecambe, I can tell you that,” he said.

In his column, he continued: "And then a man called Phil, who was obviously some kind of local Government boss, made a speech that built to a crescendo of fury, saying that the café would cause 'great harm' to the area."

Mr Clarkson criticised the decision especially as locals had previously called for him to build a car park to cater to his booming farm shop.

He also pointed out that it’s "nearly impossible to make money from farming these days" and in recent years farmers have "relied on government grants to keep going".

With grants slowly being phased out, diversifying is crucial. "And now local government is saying we can’t," he added. "That has to be addressed, and soon, so that councils are encouraged or even ordered to cut farmers some slack."

Mr Clarkson has reportedly vowed to appeal against the decision and “go to the secretary of state”.

There has been a ongoing battle between the TV star and his Chadlington neighbours with police called to the site due to fans who have come from across the UK parking on verges and blocking bus routes.