International TV Co-Editor
Welcome to the top and heart of the British film and TV industry, Robert Laycock and Julia Lopez MP
An appeal has been lodged with the British government over the refusal to grant planning permission to a James Cameron-backed British film studio worth £750 million ($950 million).
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, who is attending the opening of the London Film Festival (LFF) tonight, has confirmed in the last few minutes that the Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government has received the appeal from Marlow Film Studios and will now “assess the planning merits of the proposal… before making a decision.”
The Buckinghamshire studio was denied planning permission for a controversial development, partly due to concerns from campaign groups about the local quarry area. According to local newspaper Bucks Free Press, the leader of Marlow Town Council had previously said he and his fellow councillors were “seeking legal advice” after receiving “defamatory insults” for their perceived support for the project. Titanic author Cameron had backed the project, pitching it as a potential base and training centre for Lightstorm3D, a company he founded to develop filmmaking tools and technology.
