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Developers behind a £750mn film studio near London will appeal against a planning decision that blocked the proposal, designed to be part of a wave of modern film and high-end television production facilities in the UK.
Marlow Film Studios on Wednesday said it would ask the Planning Inspectorate, which deals with appeals and applications in England, to review Buckinghamshire council’s decision in May to refuse permission.
The company behind the large studio scheme, which was supported by artists and filmmakers such as James Cameron and Sir Sam Mendes, said it would have generated as many as 4,000 jobs.
But the local authority blocked the scheme, citing concerns over the area’s road network and the use of greenbelt land for development.
Marlow Film Studios’ development is based in a former quarry and landfill site next to a motorway outside the town of Marlow, just over 30 miles west of London.
But the site has been designated as greenbelt land, and the proposed film studio was opposed by environmentalists and greenbelt campaigners.
People close to the scheme said they hoped the political “backdrop” had improved to get the green light, citing Labour’s pledge to ease planning rules in the King’s Speech and its commitment to the arts and economic growth.
Once the appeal, which will also include a request for a public inquiry, has been lodged in Marlow, the government could decide to call in the scheme to be reviewed.
The UK has become a key part of the global filmmaking industry in recent years, with a combination of tax breaks for production and world-class talent luring Hollywood studios. Last year, half of the top 20 film releases globally were made partly in Britain, including Barbie and Napoleon.
Britain already has a number of large studios, including Pinewood, which is also in Buckinghamshire, and Shepperton in Surrey. But executives say new studio space will be needed to meet the demands of streaming services. Other facilities are being planned in Sunderland, Liverpool and London.
Robert Laycock, chief executive of Marlow Film Studios, said this year that the market for purpose-built studio space was “still highly constrained” and had not caught up with a fivefold rise in demand over the past decade.
In a statement, the developers said that “in spite of the council’s decision to refuse our application, we remain confident of the strength of our case, and of the benefits that our investment will bring”.
Marlow Film Studios added that the facility would provide £3.2bn in investment in the local area in its first decade, “a major growth investment in jobs and skills for Buckinghamshire and for the UK”, and help “keep the UK in the forefront of global competition”.
The developers also committed to investing in local traffic infrastructure and public transport.
Buckinghamshire council was contacted for comment.
