Plan for Holyport film studios refused by government
Plans to build one of the UK's biggest film and TV studios have been rejected by the government.Investment company Greystoke Land had appealed to the government to allow the film studio to be built in Holyport, after councillors at the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM) refused to grant planning permission.But minister for housing and planning Matthew Pennycook rejected the appeal on Friday, citing its "potential harm to the green belt".The BBC has approached Greystoke Land for comment.
The investment company applied for permission to build the studio complex on both sides of Gays Lane in 2022.The plans included sound stages, workshops, offices, footpaths, a multi-storey car park, a backlot filming area, a new roundabout, and a "media village" for post-production.
In March 2024, councillors refused planning permission because of concerns about the green belt.Graystoke Land appealed and said the council had "exaggerated" the harm to the green belt and ignored its economic benefits.It said there was a "pressing need for the proposed development".Property consultant Montagu Evans added: "This is no ordinary development proposal and nor is it one that meets a generic need that could be met anywhere."But RBWM said Greystoke had overstated the economic case for the studio, and the development of other studios in Berkshire and the south east meant there was less of a case for building another one in Holyport.The appeal was heard by a planning inspector last November, but government housing ministers said they would make the final decision.Mr Pennycook said the government supported "the growth of the creative industries in the UK" but there was "likely to be sufficient capacity within existing studio space" for the industry "for the immediate future".
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