Marlow Film Studios: MP 'angered' and says approval is 'not end of the fight'

The Government’s approval of Marlow Film Studios has been met with upset by local politicians and an environmental campaign group.

Buckinghamshire Council cabinet member Peter Strachan said the studio plan had ‘serious and unresolved issues’, including loss of greenbelt and worsening traffic.

He said: “We recognise the importance of supporting the UK’s creative industries and welcome investment that brings genuine benefits to our communities.”

But he added that ‘development must be delivered in the right place, with the right infrastructure, and in a way that respects the environment’.

A spokesperson for campaigners Save Marlow’s Greenbelt (SMG) said the plans would cause ‘significant and lasting harm to the environment’.

“The inquiry report itself acknowledges the uncertainty surrounding both the need for the studio and its projected economic contribution,” they said.

“We therefore respectfully disagree with the secretary of state’s conclusion such speculative benefits outweigh the clear and substantial harm.

“This marks the end of a long campaign in which SMG took part in two planning committee meetings and a major public inquiry.”

Beaconsfield MP Joy Morrissey said: “The people of Marlow made their views unequivocally clear, as did Buckinghamshire Council: this development is not wanted here.

"This decision threatens the integrity of our greenbelt and sets a worrying precedent for the future.”

She added the Government’s decision would not be ‘the end of the fight’.

Marlow ward councillor and Little Marlow parish councillor Anna Crabtree also criticised the studio’s approval.

In an online post she said: “This is the direct result of ill-thought-out planning changes and poor decision making, which threaten to destroy our green spaces.”

Marlow Town Council said a statement would be made on Tuesday.