Joy Morrissey MP has urged Pinewood Studios' bosses to repair their compromised relationship with nearby residents, honour their past pledges, and liaise with her to set out a clear plan to mitigate its impact on the area.
This strongly worded appeal by the Marlow and Beaconsfield MP followed her rejection of an invitation to a PR event at the studios extended by the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Rt Hon. Lucy Frazer MP.
Morrissey voiced her deep-rooted displeasure pertaining to the conduct of Pinewood Studios towards her constituents in Iver, Iver Heath and Richings Park, an issue she made known to the Secretary of State.
The Secretary of State has agreed to support Joy in raising the issues with Pinewood Studios. In an impassioned plea, Morrissey presented a candid depiction of the current situation.
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She said: "The UK film industry is an important economic sector and I understand why the Secretary of State is visiting the studios today.
"But for my constituents in Iver, Iver Heath and Richings Park, Pinewood Studios is simply a bad neighbour that shows no respect for the impact it has on their lives."
Morrissey further noted that Pinewood has not been honouring previous obligations, nor engaging effectively with her or the local residents.
She strongly criticised the film studio's approach of substituting genuine community engagement with flashy PR events.
She vowed that she remains impervious to such strategies and demanded that the Pinewood owners furnish her with a tangible plan detailing the solutions they intend to actualise so as to address the traffic and developmental hardships faced by the constituents.
Ever since her election back in 2019, Morrissey has aimed to collaborate with Pinewood to resolve the concerns raised by local residents.
However, she noted that the studio has exhibited a seeming lack of willingness to lend an ear to these prevalent issues and take requisite action.
She highlighted their unsuccessful efforts in February this year to halt the further expansion of Pinewood, which she maintains would mean an unacceptable reduction in Green Belt territory and added strain on traffic for her already beleaguered constituents.
She also reported Pinewood's repeated failure to adhere to their past commitments and deemed their efforts to reduce the impact on local residents as insufficient and lacking in substance.
Showcasing her determination to hold Pinewood accountable, Morrissey added: "I say to Pinewood and particularly its owners, that enough is enough.
"They need to wake up to the huge reputational damage this is doing to them locally.
"I call on the owners to meet me urgently and begin the work to repair their relationship with residents.
"Until they do, I will continue to make clear to my colleagues in Government just how much Pinewood is failing the local community."
Pinewood Studios has been contacted for a comment.
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