There were five votes in favour of the plan and five against.
Author: Nia Daniels
Published: 25 Oct 2023
The planning decision on the development of Marlow Film Studios has been deferred by Buckinghamshire Council until next year.
The council’s Strategic Sites Committee confirmed during a meeting held yesterday (23 October) that a decision would be forthcoming by March 2024 at the latest; further analysis of the land – including green belt and highways issues linked to the A404 – would be undertaken in the meantime.
As reported by the BBC, there were five votes in favour of the plan and five against. Chairman councillor Alan Turner, who had the deciding vote, said he believed deferring the decision to be "the safest route".
"I'm the last person who wants to see green belt disappear, but I'm also minded of the impacts, not just the negative impacts but the positive impacts, of what a development might bring forward," he said.
The co-founder and CEO of Marlow Film Studios, Robert Laycock, said in a statement this morning: "We'd like to thank all our supporters who have been tremendous advocates on our behalf.
“We appreciate committee members giving us the opportunity to resolve the outstanding matters and deliver this very special and high-quality filmmaking facility to Buckinghamshire, which will deliver over 4000 jobs and £3.5bn to the local economy in its first ten years, bringing a £750 million investment to the area.
“We strongly believe that Buckinghamshire deserves this opportunity to maintain and grow its position as a globally significant player in the UK’s creative economy which is backed by Central Government’s commitment to support a growth industry. We will continue to work diligently with officers to provide beneficial solutions for the area and deliver the world’s best studio."
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