Jeremy Clarkson branded a 'hero' by farmer Jamie Blackett despite backlash from neighbours

express.co.uk:

Jeremy Clarkson's neighbours, who he claims have been "shaking their fists" in fury over his plans to expand his farm, one writer, Jamie Blackett, has branded the controversial TV personality a "hero".

As a farmer himself who owns 1,250 acres of arable land in the Scottish borders, Jamie is all too familiar with the agonies of being turned down after fruitless planning applications - and he believes Jeremy's very public experience has shed light on the difficulty for farmers today.Admittedly, many failed to take the TV star's bid to become a farmer seriously at first.In fact, Jeremy recalled that his announcement that he would be starting a new beer brand caused his agent to groan and bury his head in his hands right in the middle of a pub.However, as his Amazon Prime Video series about his adventures on Diddly Squat Farm increases in popularity, outsiders are getting a first-hand insight into the red tape that surrounds those who consider farming their main way of making a living.61-year-old Jeremy's frustration was obvious after the hearing, when he compared a council official to Eric Morecambe, but quipped that he was "not as funny".Some cynics have claimed that Jeremy expected his plans for a restaurant to be turned down, and merely put forward an implausible space to host it as a way of developing a new storyline for his show.But Jamie Blackett argues that Jeremy's experience is relevant, as it highlights what other farmers - including less publicised ones - go through."As far as councillors and civil servants in councils are concerned," he told The Telegraph, "it is always so much easier just to say no."Jamie first received planning permission from authorities to build four new homes on the outskirts of a Dumfries.