The public inquiry into the multi-million pound expansion of Pinewood Shepperton studios will be held in November.
The studios are primarily owned by 3 North West organisations, Peel’s Goodweather Investment Management (58.05%), Warren James Holdings in Cheshire (26.69%) and the Isle of Man’s Treasury Department (9.90%).
In May this year, the local council refused planning permission for the £200m plans because it was an “inappropriate expansion” into the green belt.
However, Pinewood argues that without additional studio space the UK would have a “lack of capacity to meet increasing global demand for production facilities.”
“On 31 May 2013, the Company submitted to the Planning Inspectorate an appeal against the refusal by South Bucks District Council (by 6 votes to 4) of planning permission for the Pinewood Studios Development Framework (“PSDF”) to create additional capacity at Pinewood Studios. The Public Inquiry is scheduled to commence on 19 November 2013. We need to increase capacity at Pinewood Studios,” stated chairman, Lord Grade of Yarmouth, CBE.
The company claims that the additional 100,00sq metres of facilities would create 3100 net additional jobs and £194m private sector infrastructure investment.
