Employment & skills | Marlow Film

New creative opportunities and training the next generation

The UK’s creative workforce is the principle reason why we lead the world in the film and TV production. The sector in the UK supports over 86,000 jobs, and the majority of these people live in the area to the west of London, within commutable distance from Marlow.

This workforce is integral to the success of the West London Cluster. The strength in talent and technical ability of the crewbase has developed alongside the studios in the area for more than eight decade.

Marlow Film Studios will build on this, helping to foster new local employment opportunities. The plans will generate over 4,000 new jobs. 2,000 of these will be technical and production roles, and another 2,000 will be created in the wider economy – as filmmaking budgets require a broad range of supporting services and goods.

In the first ten years of the studios it is expected that the site will generate £3.5bn of new investment in film and TV production, of which £1.5bn will be spent locally. One key result of this will be the ability to invest in training for the next generation of creative talent, helping to secure the future of Buckinghamshire’s leading role in the global film and TV industry, and offering inspiring and rewarding opportunities for local people to build careers in the sector.

Click to a video from Colin McGregor-Paterson, discussing opportunities for new jobs and levelling up among Bucks' disadvantaged communities

Marlow Film Studios will provide:
• An 11,700 sq ft Culture and Skills Academy for on-site training
• 60 fully funded training places, worth over £104k, per year
• £105k in bursaries each year to promote broader access
• 650+ school children visiting a year: enough for every child in Marlow
• A skills oversight board of relevant experts and community members
• Skills coordinators to implement the skills plan
• Dedicated liaison with Buckinghamshire Skills Advisory Panel

Marlow Film Studios will provide:
• An 11,700 sq ft Culture and Skills Academy for on-site training
• 60 fully funded training places, worth over £104k, per year
• £105k in bursaries each year to promote broader access
• 650+ school children visiting a year: enough for every child in Marlow
• A skills oversight board of relevant experts and community members
• Skills coordinators to implement the skills plan
• Dedicated liaison with Buckinghamshire Skills Advisory Panel

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Culture And Skills Building

Dear Sir/Madam,

Re: Marlow Film Studios (ref: 22/06443/FULEA).

I am writing in support of the application for Marlow Film Studios, a film studio planned on former landfill next to the A404, within the parish of Little Marlow.

I was really encouraged to read of the latest polling across Bucks showing overwhelming support for the project and for the jobs and economic development that come with it. The opinions of residents across Bucks matters, particularly those who live and work close to the Studio site.

This is a decision that Bucks councillors should be making on behalf our children, and their future. This is a decision about providing them with greater opportunity and wider chances. The next generation urgently need opportunities for careers that keep them within Bucks and allow our towns and villages to flourish as homes for all ages.

Providing sustainable jobs and careers is vital for the long-term prosperity of any community. The growth of the British film industry over recent years has been extraordinary and its future growth is backed by all the political parties. Marlow Film Studios intends to be the future centre for British filmmaking. The fact that we have an industry of this global standing planning to build studios in our county is something we should be proud of. Many of today’s young people want to work in the creative sector.

I am particularly excited at the possibilities it provides for our disadvantaged communities. For local people, the Studios will also be close to one of the more culturally diverse parts of Buckinghamshire. The Studios’ partnerships with institutions such as Buckinghamshire College Group will provide access points to the creative economy for an under-represented diverse community as part of Wycombe’s regeneration challenge.

I understand that all new developments present challenges. But I believe that considerable efforts are being made to manage these. I am pleased to note the financing of the road traffic improvements on the Westhorpe roundabout, the provision of new bus routes, the care being put into providing accessible parkland for residents and a biodiverse environment.

The Studios are being built on a former gravel pit, on land that is no longer suitable for agriculture use. I understand that any decision on Green Belt land needs to illustrate clear benefits to the community that outweigh the impact. Overall, I believe the strong benefits robustly and significantly outweigh the negative considerations, and so I strongly support the planning application.

What will happen to your details: When you click “send” on this form, you will be added to our campaign and we will generate the a letter of support in the form linked above in your name for the Marlow Film Studios planning application. We will share this letter with Buckinghamshire Council councillors and officers, Buckinghamshire Parish Council councillors, Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), and Members of Parliament. These organisations may upload this letter publicly on their planning portals and/or website and will adhere with their Privacy Policies. In particular, we are requesting that Buckinghamshire Council upload these letters to their Public Access website for our application. Any processing of data by Buckinghamshire Council will be in accordance with their Privacy Policy.

You may also submit comments or letters of support directly on the Public Access website.