Jeremy Clarkson met with residents at Chadlington Village Hall on 24 February to outline detailed traffic and management plans for Cereals 2026, which will take place at Diddly Squat Farm this June.
Around 60 local residents attended the public meeting, where organisers explained how the UK’s leading arable trade event will be carefully managed during its three-week construction phase and two-day live event window to minimise disruption to surrounding communities.
Clarkson was joined by his agronomist, “Cheerful” Charlie Ireland, as organisers opened the floor to questions from residents seeking clarity on how logistics for the 10 and 11 June event will be handled.
Event organisers confirmed they are collaborating with a specialist traffic management company and Oxfordshire County Council to implement a Temporary Traffic Regulation Order (TTRO). Measures include temporary one-way systems and a 30mph speed limit on surrounding roads to ease congestion and prevent gridlock.
Strict access controls will ensure event traffic does not pass through Chadlington village, with “Local Access Only” signage and staffed control points in place. All on-site parking will be free to avoid delays at entry gates and maintain steady vehicle flow onto the farm.
To further reduce private vehicle numbers, dedicated “Cereals Buses” will transport attendees from regional hubs directly to the venue.
Clarkson emphasised that the event is run by an experienced professional team accustomed to delivering Cereals in rural locations nationwide, adding that the gathering holds significant importance for both local farmers and the wider agricultural sector.
He said:
“We are hosting the event, but Cereals are the organisers and they know what they are doing. They’ve been doing this in rural communities for years and know how to manage the traffic to make sure the village and surrounding area is relatively undisturbed.
“This is an important event, not just the agriculture sector nationally but for our local farming communities too. Farming is an industry that is in deep trouble. I have the honour to trying to put something back into this beleaguered world.”
Ireland added:
“A huge amount of planning has gone into managing the traffic and visitors around the event and the traffic management team will be on hand throughout to address any issues quickly if they do arise.
“This is an event I’ve visited multiple times over the years. We’ve worked to make some critical changes and I’m confident the Cereals team will be able to minimise any impact on Chadlington and the surrounding area.”
Alli McEntyre, Event Director at Cereals, reassured residents about the planning process. She said:
“Our team has decades of experience managing major agricultural events. We understand residents will have concerns about traffic, which is why we have designed a strategy that utilises major A-roads and keeps event traffic away from villages.
“Cereals is a trade-only event for professionals; it is not a public festival, which allows us to predict and control arrival times and vehicle volumes with high precision. The success of this event is hugely important to us and traffic management is a key element of that success. This is why we partner with a dedicated traffic management company.”
In response to questions, organisers confirmed access to Chadlington will remain restricted to local traffic, with residents receiving detailed traffic information by post within two weeks. Local business traffic will still be permitted, and businesses are being encouraged to participate in the event.
The team is also coordinating with local schools to reduce any impact on students, including those sitting exams. Roving traffic monitoring teams will oversee signage and congestion levels, while extended directional signage on major routes will help prevent disruption in neighbouring towns and villages.
Close collaboration with the council and emergency services will ensure public transport and essential services remain unaffected.
Residents with traffic-related queries have been advised to contact Natasja O’Connor within the Cereals team.
The event schedule is tightly managed to ensure the farmland is restored promptly.
Set-up and take-down will run from 26 May to 19 June, with heavy vehicles entering via the A361/Mill End and exiting through Chipping Norton Road onto the A631. Event traffic will not use the Diddly Squat Farm Shop entrance.
The live event will take place on:
- Wednesday 10 June (8.00am to 6.00pm) – Approximately 14,000 trade visitors expected
- Thursday 11 June (8.00am to 5.00pm) – Approximately 10,000 trade visitors expected
On event days, arrivals from the south via the A40/Burford will use the A361 to access the South Car Park, while visitors from the north via the A44 will be directed along Cox’s Lane and Old London Road to the North Car Park.
Departures will be managed to streamline outbound traffic, with South Car Park vehicles routed toward the A40 and North Car Park traffic directed toward the A44 via Chipping Norton.
