Leading lights of the film and television industry have pledged support for the proposed Marlow Film Studios state-of-the-art film studio and filmmaking campus, as the decision approaches from Buckinghamshire Council.
The British Film Commission, Lionsgate, Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television (PACT), the Production Guild of Great Britain, ScreenSkills, Creative England and other individuals working in the industry have written to express their support for the planning application to turn a former landfill and quarry site into a top tier creative workspace near Marlow in Buckinghamshire.
The industry support comes on top of more than 3,000 letters of public support in favour of the proposal for a new state of the art film studios with 18 stages, capable of filming two high-end productions simultaneously which will create over 2,000 onsite jobs.
The application also includes an on-site Culture and Skills Academy for the next generation of talent to learn and train for careers in the film and television industry. This is critical for the sustainable growth of the industry; ScreenSkills and the BFI estimating that the industry will require more than 15,000 new workers by 2025.
Hayley Armstrong, head of production services for Creative England, stated: “The Marlow Film Studio development offers the opportunity to ensure local communities enjoy the profile, job opportunities and economic benefits that the sector generates.”
Creative England, the national agency endorsed by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and funded by the British Film Institute, said: “Despite the UK’s success in attracting unprecedented levels of production, the supply of studio space has not been in-step with demand.
“The current renewed demand for content has never been on a greater trajectory and the Marlow Film Studio development proposals directly responds to the shortage of studio space in the UK that Creative England have seen over the last number of years.”
These messages were reflected in Tim Marshall OBE’s letter of support which stated: “The UK’s film and television industry has experienced substantial growth over the last decade and is now a major contributor to the UK economy. Not only that, but the industry’s constantly developing production resources and methods mean that a highly-skilled workforce is needed to provide the human resources to support these state-of-the-art studios in a world class production environment.
“This presents an incredible opportunity for the people in the area, and their children, to develop skills which will enable them to participate in one of the most exciting and rewarding industries in the British economy.”
Tim is a Buckinghamshire resident, former chair of Royal Television Society Thames Valley, head of BBC TV events and senior vice-president at The Walt Disney Company.
The proposed Marlow Film Studios near Marlow, Buckinghamshire, sits at the heart of the world-renowned West London Film and High-End TV cluster, well placed to contribute to this globally renowned sector generating jobs and prosperity in the UK and Buckinghamshire in particular. A decision is expected later this year.
Supportive representations can still be directly uploaded on the portal by clicking here. If you would like assistance drafting a personal letter of support or if you are interested in other ways of supporting the application please email support@marlow.film.
