An inquiry into the film studio project kicked off this week (Image: Marlow Film Studios)
Residents of a pretty Buckinghamshire town are furious as Angela Rayner looks set to approve a massive -style film studio on greenbelt land.
Locals in Marlow think Housing Minister would be better off not getting involved in a lucrative but potentially destructive development planned for their backyard.
The Deputy Prime Minister will make a decision on the future of a £750 million -backed production complex after a public inquiry concludes next month.
While at first glance, the James Cameron-endorsed mega-development looks like just the economic boon that had in search of earlier this month, a clear-eyed look at the details of the case reveals a murkier picture.
“Contrary to the property developers’ claims, the area isn’t derelict grey belt land,” local campaigner Sam Kershaw, co-chair of the Save Marlow’s Greenbelt group said.
He said: “It is part of a country park which is rich in biodiversity and a valued resource for local people that contributes to their physical and mental health.”
“A huge studio and the thousands of associated commuter cars would cause environmental damage, traffic chaos and social disruption,” he added.
Mr Kershaw also said that a parish poll revealed the “huge unpopularity” of the project, with over 85% of voters saying they didn’t want it to go ahead.
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The film studio sits around 1.5 miles outside Marlow (Image: Getty)
The film studio, which would sprawl across a 90-acre stretch of land on the outskirts of an routinely ranked among the best places in the UK to put down roots, was thrown out by Buckinghamshire Council last May.
Despite fears that the proposed development would constitute inappropriate use of green belt land and have repercussions for the local road network, ‘called in’ the plans in October, enticed by the developers’ promise of over 4,000 new jobs and a £3.5bn investment in the local area.
The Deputy-PM has spoken about her desire to unblock the planning system and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy announced new tax breaks for UK filmmakers in the autumn – fuelling speculation that the project will be an easy yes for the new government.
The inquiry has been framed as a test of the government’s commitment to boosting the country’s global profile as a base for filmmaking, with Sasha White KC insisting that the project would be “a gamechanger for the economic health of the county…and frankly, the nation”.
But it could also be evidence of a leadership out of step with the local consensus, especially in rural areas where if not film studios, huge swathes of new housing developments can pose an existential threat.
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“The site is designated as part of the green belt,” White said on the opening day of the inquiry. “However [we] will argue that the site is land newly conceived by the Labour government as ‘grey belt’.”
The government confirmed in December that councils would be ordered to redesignate under 10% of green belt land as ‘grey’ in a bid to meet new housing targets – with a new planning framework prioritising “infrastructure for local communities” on the protected land, including schools, surgeries and affordable homes.
Affordable homes in Marlow include Westhorpe Park, a caravan site bordering the proposed development site which is “a refuge” for those unable to shoulder the average house prices of £735,116 in the town centre, according to 77-year-old Melvin Shergold.
Alongside his 56 neighbours, he would be “surrounded by 70-foot-tall sheds” if the plans went ahead, Mr Shergold told The Telegraph last year.
Angela Rayner overruled a council rejection of the plans in October (Image: Getty)
And while its developers – including Robert Laycock, the great-nephew of James Bond writer Ian Fleming – extol the growth of the UK film industry, with ever-increasing demand for more studio space, naysayers including Mr Kershaw have thrown doubt on the question.
Suggesting that there are “over ten” other film studios within a 30-minute drive of Marlow, the campaigner said: “The huge boom in UK studio construction over the last five years was driven by a bubble in demand from streamers like and Amazon. The streaming bubble burst…when the focus moved from growth to profitability.
“By increasing the oversupply of studios in the south east, Marlow Film Studios isn’t going to generate additional jobs or economic growth, it will merely take movie productions and jobs from existing studios. It’s a zero-sum game.”
Marlow Film Studios and the Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government has been approached for comment.