Marlow Film Studios: Residents call for councillors to resign

More than 200 members of the Marlow community gathered in the Shelley Theatre at Court Garden House last night, April 8, to hold votes of no confidence in the Town Council leader Chris Funnell, deputy mayor Colleen Stapley and chair of the planning committee Richard Scott.

Members of the parish’s electoral register voted that they had no confidence in any of the three councillors, the planning committee, or the town council itself.

Last year, Cllr Funnell apologised to residents after councillors held a secret vote in support of the Marlow Film Studios development, a multi-million-pound proposal for Greenbelt land on the edge of the town.

Details of the vote were submitted to the Buckinghamshire Council planning portal, sparking backlash and prompting Cllr Funnell to admit that the submission was “misleading” and was in fact the “collective view of several councillors”.

Speaking last night, Emma Hawkins, one of the 12 residents who called for the parish meeting to be held, said: “We are in a democracy. In my opinion, democracy has been disallowed and this meeting is important because as residents, your concerns need to be heard and empathised with. I think certain councillors have not supported their residents.”

Not everyone agreed, however. One other resident said the parish meeting, which was not attended by Cllr Funnell, Stapley or Scott, was “undemocratic” itself.

They added: “These councillors do their job because they have been democratically elected by the locals and they serve the council in the best way they can. Anyone who has views against anything they decide can attend meetings and present their case properly.”

Tim Ashburner, director of the Marlow FM radio station, also spoke about the findings of a Freedom of Information request into the communications between councillors and film studio developers.

He uncovered several emails relating to private meetings held at the Palace of Westminster in 2021 that were not declared at the next council meeting and found one exchange wherein Cllr Funnell said he was “puzzled” by the involvement of a redacted local committee member in a site visit because they were “likely to be an opposer”.

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An email was also disclosed from Councillor Stapley to Robert Laycock, CEO of Marlow Film Studios, asking for more details on the plans including revenue projections and a “business case study” – something that was interpreted as a “collusion” with developers.

Following the no-confidence votes, four polls were proposed by residents on whether each of the aforementioned councillors should resign and whether those in the town want a development of the film studio’s scale on local Greenbelt land.

The polls will be reported to Electoral Services, who will determine whether they are put to the local community.

While it can comment on the application, Marlow Town Council has no say on whether the Marlow Film Studios application is approved or rejected.

The site of the proposed studio, near the A404 junction at Westhorpe Park, technically falls within the remit of Little Marlow Parish Council.

However, the local planning authority Buckinghamshire Council will have the final say on the future of the application, with a decision expected later this year.

Marlow Town Council has been approached for comment.