New politician will announce divisive Marlow Film Studios decision after Angela Rayner's resignation
A decision on the controversial Marlow Film Studios project will go ahead as planned despite the resignation of Angela Rayner.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government confirmed the ruling will still be announced on or before October 2.
The application had originally been called in by Ms Rayner, who as housing secretary was due to make the final decision.
Her replacement, Steve Reed, will now take over responsibility following her resignation.
Ms Rayner stepped down after revelations that she had failed to pay sufficient tax on her £800,000 flat in Hove.
Her departure comes after the prime minister’s ethics adviser Sir Laurie Magnus said Rayner had ‘acted with integrity’ but concluded that she had breached the ministerial code.
He said she did get legal advice when buying the property but failed to seek further expert tax advice as recommended.
Mr Reed will now decide whether to approve plans to build the multi-million-pound film studio on Green Belt land near the A404 in Little Marlow were refused by Buckinghamshire Council’s Strategic Sites Committee on May 30 last year.
Campaigners remain firmly opposed. A spokesperson for Save Marlow’s Greenbelt 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.”