Marlow Film Studios: The four-year saga which led to the Government's call
Following the Government’s decision to approve the Marlow Film Studios plans, we look back at the key milestones in the long-running planning saga.
Developers Dido Property Ltd first unveiled proposals for Marlow Film Studios in June 2021, describing it as a major new creative hub for Buckinghamshire.
A second phase of public consultation followed in October 2021, before a formal planning application was submitted in May 2022 and validated the following month.
The scheme reached a critical point on 23 October 2023, when Buckinghamshire Council’s strategic sites committee met to consider the application. With councillors split five votes to five, the chair used his casting vote to defer the decision until spring 2024, allowing time for additional analysis on environmental, flooding and traffic impacts.
On 30 May 2024, the committee ultimately voted to refuse the plans, citing concerns about developing on the green belt and the potential effects on local roads and flood risk. The developer appealed.
In October 2024, then deputy prime minister and housing secretary Angela Rayner exercised her powers to “call in” the application—signalling that the government regarded it as a project of “major importance.” A public inquiry, led by planning inspector Katie McDonald, was held in early 2025 to gather expert evidence.
The Ministry of Housing later confirmed that a ruling would be issued by 2 October, with Ms Rayner originally due to make the final decision. However, following her resignation amid revelations about unpaid tax on her £800,000 Hove flat, new Housing Secretary Steve Reed assumed responsibility for the case.
A letter sent to the Local Democracy Reporting Service in the autumn stated that the decision deadline had been pushed back to 27 November, with officials saying more time was required to consider the inspector’s findings.
After years of scrutiny, the saga concluded this week. On Wednesday, the Government approved the Marlow Film Studios plans, bringing one of Buckinghamshire’s most closely watched planning battles to an end.