Decision on major film studios pushed back

A decision on whether one of the UK's biggest film and TV studios is granted planning permission should be made next month.

Investment company Greystoke Land submitted plans to build sound stages, offices and workshops near the village of Holyport, near Maidenhead, Berkshire.

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead refused the application last year, citing its impact on the green belt.

Officials on behalf of Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said a decision on the plan was delayed until on or before 26 June. It had been expected by Thursday.

The project, first announced in 2022, could create 1,500 jobs.

It would extend over 43 hectares (106 acres) of land on Gays Lane in three areas.

The sound stages, workshops and offices would allow multiple film and TV productions to be shot on the same day and at the same time.

A "media village" would include a virtual reality studio offering CGI creation, augmented and virtual reality and gaming, while there would also be an area for open-air filming.

Greystoke Land appealed to the government's planning inspectorate after the council dismissed its application.

The council previously said that the case for the studios was "overstated" as a number of others have already been built in the south east of England.

It cited statistics from the British Film Institute that film and TV production volumes fell by 25% between 2022 and 2024.

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