Overview
- Housing secretary Steve Reed granted permission in a 266-page decision issued hours before the budget, reversing Buckinghamshire Council’s earlier rejection.
- The plan outlines 18 soundstages and a culture and skills academy on a former quarry and landfill beside the A404, with developers citing 4,000 jobs and £3.2bn of economic output over the first decade.
- James Cameron has backed the project and previously indicated Marlow could serve as a UK and European base for his Lightstorm3D operation.
- Local groups and politicians, including Save Marlow’s Greenbelt and MP Joy Morrissey, condemned the ruling, warning of lasting harm to Green Belt land and questioning the certainty of the projected benefits.
- The approval is viewed as part of a broader push to expand the creative sector, alongside measures such as business rates relief for eligible studios in England through 2034.