Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on November 26, 2025
LONDON (Reuters) -Britain approved plans on Wednesday for a major new film studio to the west of London, overriding local council objections in a bid to spur economic growth with a boost to the creative sector.
The Marlow Film Studio development has become a test case for Prime Minister Keir Starmer's promise to "bulldoze through restrictive planning laws" that investors blame for making it difficult and costly to build in Britain.
A letter outlining the government's decision said the economic benefits of the plan "carry very substantial weight" and outweighed other concerns.
The decision was published shortly ahead of finance minister Rachel Reeves' annual budget, which is expected to outline tax rises in what she says are "fair and necessary choices" to speed up economic growth.
'A VOTE OF CONFIDENCE' IN UK CREATIVE SECTOR
Marlow Film Studios, which lists directors James Cameron, Sam Mendes and Paul Greengrass among supporters, intends to build 470,000 square feet of soundstages across 56 acres on a disused landfill site next to a busy road.
Robert Laycock, CEO of the 750 million pound ($986 million) project, hailed the decision as a "real vote of confidence in the UK and its creative industries", saying it would attract global investment.
The government has identified British film and TV production - which rivals Hollywood in capacity and has made blockbusters including 'Barbie', the Harry Potter series and 'Deadpool & Wolverine' - as a sector that deserves support.
Also in the west London film cluster are Warner Brothers in Leavesden, where much of 'Barbie' was shot, and Pinewood Studios, where James Bond, Marvel and Star Wars films have been made.
The plans had previously been rejected by Buckinghamshire Council, which said there was insufficient evidence to justify the studios being built on "green belt" land intended to prevent urban sprawl into the countryside.
($1 = 0.7599 pounds)
(Reporting by Alistair Smout; Editing by Catarina Demony and Gareth Jones)
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