New council deal reveals how Marlow Film Studios could be developed

The proposed moviemaking hub is still to be considered by secretary of state Angela Rayner, who has the final say on the refused planning application after calling it in last year.

The Planning Inspectorate told the Local Democracy Reporting Service on Tuesday it was still drafting a report on the studios before sending it to Ms Rayner, and no decision has yet been made on the application.

But in recent days, Buckinghamshire Council and applicant Dido Property Limited have inked a Section 106 agreement.

Section 106 agreements can be made between local planning authorities, and land and property owners during the granting of planning permission.

It is common practice for parties to agree a Section 106 agreement prior to an appeal decision being made and it is part of the required appeal procedure, and not an indication of the outcome.

The meaty legal documents hold developers to certain obligations to make sure the impacts of large developments on communities are mitigated against.

The council, Dido and the other landowners signed a Section 106 agreement, and a second legal document on April 4.

Both were uploaded to the Bucks planning website on Monday and provide details about the construction of the studios off the A404 in Little Marlow, as well as the site’s future management.

The publication of both documents comes after the conclusion of the public inquiry into the studios in February, which followed the council’s refusal to grant Dido planning permission for the project last year.

According to the Section 106, Dido must provide new bus stops and operate bus services at its expense for a minimum period of ten years once the studios are up and running.

The 53-page document says Dido must also notify the council when it starts to build the complex, including when the planned skills and cultural academy is used.

In terms of mitigation, Dido has also agreed to provide an apprenticeship training programme from the opening of the film studios.

This will provide at least 60 new training places per year, at a total annual cost of £104,000 for 10 years.

This section of the document adds: “Owners will use reasonable endeavours to ensure that a minimum of 20 of the trainees per year are local people and no less than 40 per cent of the trainees are selected form culturally, ethnically or racially/inclusivity candidate groups.”

An annual bursary of £105,000 must also be provided for five years to support new production trainees ‘in progression of their careers in the film industry’.

Dido must also set out how it will work with Bucks Skills Hub and local schools to ‘deliver a range of educational activities’ including site visits, careers activities and curriculum-based workshops.

The film studios must also partner with Jobcentre Plus and other relevant agencies to provide work placements in film production for local people.

A programme of open days, training events and quarterly local employment fairs must also be marketed and offered to Bucks residents, the document says.

The Section 106 also states the studios must not be occupied until footpaths and cycleway links have been delivered ‘to the satisfaction of the council’.

Another section says café facilities must be made available for use by the public prior to the occupation of 50 per cent of the film production facilities.

The second legal document signed between Dido and the council offers some mitigation for the residents of Westhorpe Park, a park home estate.

It states the film studios owners must not occupy the skills and cultural academy until a website has been launched to give park home residents priority tickets to a ‘cultural and screening programme’.

Details about ‘enhanced security’ for park homes residents including a ‘new secure entrance barrier’ must also be provided, along with free bus passes for each property at Westhorpe Park.

If approved, the film studios will provide 18 sound stages, 19 workshops, 1,117 car parking spaces, backlots and other facilities.