Lord Anthony Bamford, the billionaire industrialist behind construction giant JCB, has received planning permission to build a “landscape observatory” in the scenic Cotswolds area, even as concerns about the project’s impact continue to mount.
As chairman of JCB since 1975, inheriting the role from his father, Joseph Cyril Bamford, Lord Bamford and his wife, Lady Carole Bamford, are prominent landowners in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire. Their Daylesford Foundation has now secured approval from West Oxfordshire District Council for the observatory’s construction.
The design places the observatory on elevated ground, offering sweeping views of the surrounding countryside—a key attraction cited in the plans. The proposed facility will include a function room, projection area, green pergola terrace, bar, kitchenette, and an archive space. Its intended purpose is to serve as an educational hub promoting regenerative farming techniques and traditional rural crafts, aligned with the foundation’s mission.
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However, multiple objections have been raised against the project. The Cotswolds National Landscape (CNL) Board voiced strong opposition, highlighting potential harm to the area’s natural beauty and raising concerns over light pollution from the observatory. CNL planning officer Simon Joyce said the development “would not conserve and enhance the landscape and scenic beauty” of the National Landscape, emphasizing that the structure’s prominent and isolated location would adversely affect the character of the surrounding agricultural setting.
Following revisions to the plans, CNL maintained its objection, underscoring that light pollution remains unmitigated. Joyce emphasized the importance of preserving the Cotswolds’ famously dark skies, identifying this as a special quality at risk from the proposed development.
In response, representatives from the Daylesford Foundation described the project as a “celebration of the estate,” highlighting their longstanding commitment to sustainable farming and preservation of traditional crafts since 1977. They stressed that the observatory’s design utilizes local, traditional materials to blend sympathetically with the landscape. To address concerns about light pollution, they noted that most activities would occur during daylight hours and that lighting would be carefully selected to minimize environmental impact.
Despite the controversy, the council’s permission marks a significant step forward for the Bamfords’ latest venture, illustrating the ongoing tension between development ambitions and preservation of the Cotswolds’ treasured rural landscape.