Marlow Town Council is backing plans from the company behind Marlow Film Studios to build a new footbridge over the A404 – despite warnings over 'lack of need' and murky motives.
The company behind the multi-million-pound film studio submitted plans last month for a new cycle and pedestrian route to the site, replacing an existing footbridge over the A404 in Little Marlow.
A lack of sustainable transport infrastructure was among the reasons for the project's refusal by Buckinghamshire Council in May, and developers are hoping to bolster their chances of overturning the decision by securing the bridge in an independent capacity ahead of a public inquiry early next year.
Philip Humphrey Architects, recruited to lay out the proposal, said a replacement of the pedestrian-only Volvo Footbridge would “significantly improve pedestrian and cycle connectivity across the A404” and “reduce the physical barrier” formed by the road for existing and new travellers.
While it would be "assessed on its own merits", film studio CEO Robert Laycock is also hoping it can be "relied upon in support of the film studio appeal" in January.
And the plans have now been backed by Marlow Town Council – which came under fire for perceived "collusion" with film studio developers earlier this year and has stated "no objection" to the footpath proposal, subject to approval by local and national highway authorities.
The studio has been a subject of local contention since plans were submitted in 2022 – and this latest twist in the saga is no exception.
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Anne-Marie Lovett wrote to the council urging them to refuse the bridge replacement plans on the grounds that it had “literally just been refurbished” in 2019.
She added: “It doesn’t need any more work. We were told the reason it was done (last time) was to preserve its lifespan. All of the disruption (and) the closure of the A404 at the time was worth it to help the longevity of this bridge. It doesn’t need to be replaced again.”
Andrew Wood was cautiously optimistic, however – describing a new, more accessible bridge over the A404 as “a brilliant new addition to our urban landscape” dampened by the underlying motive to build “a huge development totally unsuited to the location”.
The Volvo Footbridge was last removed and reinstalled via crane in 2019 as part of a National Highways maintenance project, causing a two-day road closure – and developers insist a larger-scale overhaul of the structure would unfold “in a similar manner with minor disruption to the road network”.
The plans include a complete removal of the existing footbridge structure and the installation of a new pedestrian and cyclist crossing with approach ramps, a metal handrail and low-level lighting.
Marlow Film Studios will go before a government inquiry in January, with a final decision on the project to be made by Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner.
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