MP Joy Morrissey has taken a stand against the proposed Marlow Film Studios development, warning that it could worsen congestion and pollution in the town.

MP for Marlow and Beaconsfield Joy Morrissey said the proposed Marlow Film Studios site, which is on Greenbelt land and makes up part of Little Marlow Lakes Country Park, plays a "significant role" in the "appeal and wellbeing" of the town's community and that "neglecting its protection would harm locals and set a precedent for further unsuitable development."

Ms Morrissey also touched on what she described as a "multitude of issues" surrounding the proposal, including the potential exacerbation of traffic levels in the town, a topic that has been the subject of local attention in recent days. 

"Adding a film studio will worsen the already high traffic levels in the area and make Westhorpe Junction more dangerous as a consequence. It will also impact air quality, with parts of Marlow already designated Air Quality Management Areas.

"The whole point of Greenbelt is to protect sites like this one. If Buckinghamshire Council fails to do so, it will send a clear message to developers that other such sites are worth targeting. 'Very special circumstances' is a deliberately high bar to prevent inappropriate development of Greenbelt land and this application fails to reach that bar."

Last month, Marlow Film Studios developers submitted a final Transport Addendum to the Buckinghamshire Council planning portal detailing a 'Sustainable Travel Strategy' which included plans for a new public bus service between High Wycombe and Maidenhead, improved pedestrian and cyclist access on and around the site and 1,108 pre-booked and managed internal parking spaces. 

The Addendum states that a review of the developers' VISSIM traffic model by the council and National Highways found it to be 'fit for purpose' based on traffic assessments up to future years 2027 and 2034, with the inclusion of the proposed Marlow Road/site access roundabout.

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Analysis of the model reportedly found that while the development would increase vehicle movement at Westhorpe Interchange, existing constraints, notably on the slip road from the A404, would likely require future intervention regardless of the project proposal.

A spokesperson added: "We want Marlow Film Studios to be an asset to the local community and our sustainable traffic proposals will bring significant local transport investment to keep traffic free-flowing - providing a significant upgrade for local residents while enabling them to switch to more sustainable travel if they wish.

"We continue to work very closely with all the transport and traffic agencies to finalise plans to meet the technical needs of the local authority while continuing to take on board insight and feedback from the local community."

A National Highways document also uploaded to the portal in July stated that ongoing reviews were continuing to shape the government-owned company's understanding of the impact the studios would have on the "safe and efficient operation of the strategic road network (SRN)". 

The document laid out recommendations that permission not be granted for the project for a specified period of 56 days, until September 14.

Click here to view the full planning application for the Marlow Film Studios site.