A poll commissioned by Marlow Film Studios has found that 78 per cent of Buckinghamshire residents support the multi-million-pound development, in what local campaigners have called a ‘desperate attempt’ to convince planning officers.

The poll, conducted by the market research and insight agency Opinium, saw 78 per cent of 500 respondents express support for the film studio project, which would be built on Greenbelt land near the A404 Marlow bypass if granted planning permission by Buckinghamshire Council.

The results were taken from a pool of residents across the county, including 152 who live within five miles of the studio site.

They were reportedly chosen by telephone area code, with interviews held between March 28 and April 25.

CEO of Marlow Film Studios Robert Laycock said the poll showed a “far more supportive, meaningful and positive” local attitude than indicated by the “vocal” voices of opposition.

He said: “Buckinghamshire is the powerhouse of British film – and the UK’s success depends on the talent and work of people here.  According to the British Film Institute, the last six years of British-made films have averaged a mighty 21 per cent of the global Box Office, excluding the 2020 lockdown.

"So there’s no surprise that residents and voters overwhelmingly support the film industry getting a world-class enhancement here – and that they want the opportunities and economic advantages that Marlow Film Studios brings.

"Its special qualities resonate widely, which has been seen in over 4,700 registered letters of support, and now in the findings of this research."

Mr Laycock also drew attention to Opinium’s findings that nine in ten of those who responded in the affirmative cited the creation new jobs as a reason for their support.

However, a spokesperson for the local environmental campaign group Save Marlow’s Greenbelt accused the developers of tactically releasing the poll the week before residents have their say on the large-scale development in a Marlow Town Parish Poll on Thursday, May 9.

They also pointed to a drop in the spending on film and TV production in the UK by 35 per cent last year as proof that Marlow Film Studios is “simply not needed”.

Adding: “This survey looks like a desperate attempt to pre-empt next week’s parish poll, in which we are fully confident the vast majority of local people will vote ‘NO’ to the studio.

“Everyone is aware of the devastating impact that it will have on traffic, the environment and the landscape, and (we) have no confidence that any of the claimed benefits will ever come about.”

Dido Property Ltd, the company behind the project, recently outlined plans to invest £20 million into local transport infrastructure – though they have since faced obstruction by Buckinghamshire Council’s highways arm.

They also promised that the film studio would create 4,000 new jobs – a claim Save Marlow’s Greenbelt campaigners have questioned due to the industry’s history of handing work to existing freelancers.

The plans were backed by Titanic director James Cameron last month but have generated over 1,000 letters of objection from local people, with many raising concerns about its potential environmental impact.

Although a date has not been set for Bucks Council's consideration of Marlow Film Studios, the Free Press understands a meeting is likely to take place before the end of this month.