Britain approves new film studio near London

Britain on Wednesday approved plans for a major new film studio in west London, overriding local council concerns about the impact on the environment, in a bid to boost economic growth with a boost to the creative sector.

The Marlow Film Studio development has become a test case for Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s promise to overhaul a rigid planning system that investors accuse of making it difficult and expensive to build in Britain. A letter outlining the government’s decision said the economic benefits of the plan “carry very significant weight”.

It said the benefits outweighed concerns about developing the “green belt” land, a designation intended to prevent urban sprawl in the countryside that the local council had cited when it initially blocked the proposals.

Marlow Film Studios, which includes directors James Cameron, Sam Mendes and Paul Greengrass among its backers, plans to build 470,000 square feet of soundstages – soundproofed studios – on 56 acres of abandoned landfill next to a busy road.

Robert Laycock, Chief Executive of the £750m project, hailed the decision as a “real vote of confidence in the UK and its creative industries”, saying it would attract global investment.

British film and television production is looking to rival Hollywood in capacity and the government has identified it as a sector worthy of support. Also in the west London cinema cluster are Warner Bros. in Leavesden, where much of the blockbuster ‘Barbie’ was filmed, and Pinewood Studios, home to James Bond, Marvel and Star Wars films.

A local campaign group opposed to the studio complex, Save Marlow’s Greenbelt (SMG), said the site was not derelict and supported a valuable ecosystem, while its openness helped protect the character of Buckingham town and surrounding villages.

The group questioned whether another studio was needed and said its “speculative” benefits would likely not outweigh the “clear and substantial harm”. “We believe that the development will cause significant and permanent harm to the environment, the local community and the landscape,” it said in a statement.

The group said it was disappointed with the decision but would not seek to challenge the ruling through a high court appeal. This marks the end of a long campaign. We will continue to defend Marlow’s green belt against inappropriate development.”