'Further time required' to decide fate of Marlow Film Studios, Government says

A decision on the £750m Marlow Film Studios has been delayed, with the government now expected to rule in November.

The ruling, originally expected by October 2, will now be made no later than November 27, according to a letter from the Ministry of Housing and Local Government shared with the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

The delay comes as the Secretary of State reviews the findings of Inspector Katie McDonald, who led a public inquiry into the project beginning in January. Officials say “further time is required” to consider the case.

The ministry said it aimed to issue a decision “as quickly as possible.” The application was originally called in for decision after the public inquiry by Angela Rayner; however, following her departure, her replacement Steve Reed will now make the decision.

Plans to build the £750 million film studio on Green Belt land near the A404 in Little Marlow were refused by Buckinghamshire Council’s Strategic Sites Committee on May 30 last year.

Campaigners remain firmly opposed. A spokesperson for Save Marlow’s Greenbelt told the LDRS: “We continue to oppose this absurd planning application. As we made clear at the planning inquiry, it will provide no benefit to the UK film industry or to Marlow, but it will cause great harm to the environment and to the community.

“We are very grateful for the fantastic support we have received from the people of Marlow over the years.”

But the developer argued the scheme would deliver significant national and local benefits.

Sasha White KC who represented the developer at the inquiry in February, said: “What this inquiry has shown is that if planning permission is granted for the appeal scheme it would be transformative for the British film and TV sector.”

He said the plans would provide a new studio in an ‘optimum location’ as well as a ‘massive economic boost’ with an investment of nearly a billion pounds and creating around 4,000 new jobs.

He added: “Overall for a scheme of this nature it is inevitable that there will be a significant impact on the openness of the green belt, however, it is remarked in this case that the conflict with green belt purposes is relatively limited.

“Crucially none of this harm is to be given substantial weight in the planning balance and none of it results in conflict, we say, with national or local green belt policy.”