Buckinghamshire Council spent almost £300,000 opposing controversial plans for a £750 million film studio on green belt land in Little Marlow, new figures reveal.

A Freedom of Information request by the Local Democracy Reporting Service revealed the council’s bill came to £298,952.

That included £104,471 on planning, highways and environmental services, £18,000 on a needs case and £176,481 on legal fees. The council was able to recover £3,624 from a section 106 agreement.

The authority said it stood firmly by its refusal of the application and the money it had spent, which could see a huge studio complex built off the A404.

How Marlow Film Studios could look (Image: Dido)

placeholder image — How Marlow Film Studios could look (Image: Dido)

Councillor Peter Strachan, cabinet member for planning, said: “The applicant chose to appeal that decision and we have a duty to defend our decision through the appeal process which was heard by a Public Inquiry. As such, these costs are typical in such instances.

“We make no apology for defending our county against development that is considered inappropriate and that has been through thorough and neutral scrutiny by our planning committee as part of the statutory planning process.”

A final ruling on the studios is due by October 2. The decision will fall to new housing secretary Steve Reed after the resignation of Angela Rayner, who had called in the application.

Campaign group Save Marlow’s Green Belt welcomed the council’s stance. A spokesperson said: “Buckinghamshire Council had a statutory duty to defend the planning appeal initiated by Dido Properties Ltd, and we believe they did so in an appropriate and effective manner.”

They previously 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.”

Several artists, who are local to Buckinghamshire, have supported the project and the potential recruitment opportunities it could bring to the area. One said: “The chance to have so much private investment injected into cultural provision should be encouraged not prohibited.” Oscar winning directors James Cameron and Sam Mendes were among high profile filmmakers who supported the application when it was initially submitted to the Bucks authority.