The Vision
Designed by Olympic Park master planner Jason Prior of Prior & Partners, and double Stirling Prize architects Wilkinson Eyre, Marlow Film Studios will provide working space of an unparalleled quality, designed for filmmakers while simultaneously benefiting the wider community.
A once in a lifetime opportunity to create a state-of-the-art purpose-built filmmaking campus designed for filmmakers, while simultaneously benefitting the wider community.
Marlow’s role in the UK film industry
Buckinghamshire has a long association with Oscar-winning films and the creative industries. The region is home to Pinewood Studios and the National Film and Television School. By leveraging its place in this unique local cluster, Marlow Film Studios would provide new jobs, skills, education, training and apprenticeships in a growth industry, which has the potential to provide jobs, investment and opportunities for future generations.
The Brief
The proposed scheme will deliver a state-of-the-art international filmmaking destination to meet the growing demand for production space in the heart of Buckinghamshire, a world-renowned place of high-end film and TV production.
One of the studios primary aims is to help grow the permanent skills base in the area. Partnering with existing local institutions, local people will be able to learn the skills required to build long and rewarding careers in the industry. The studios will deliver on the aspirations of the local community with quality green space, infrastructure improvements and increased biodiversity.
A once in a lifetime opportunity to create a state-of-the-art purpose-built filmmaking campus designed for filmmakers, while simultaneously benefitting the wider community.
Marlow’s role in the UK film industry
Buckinghamshire has a long association with Oscar-winning films and the creative industries. The region is home to Pinewood Studios and the National Film and Television School. By leveraging its place in this unique local cluster, Marlow Film Studios would provide new jobs, skills, education, training and apprenticeships in a growth industry, which has the potential to provide jobs, investment and opportunities for future generations.
The Brief
The proposed scheme will deliver a state-of-the-art international filmmaking destination to meet the growing demand for production space in the heart of Buckinghamshire, a world-renowned place of high-end film and TV production.
One of the studios primary aims is to help grow the permanent skills base in the area. Partnering with existing local institutions, local people will be able to learn the skills required to build long and rewarding careers in the industry. The studios will deliver on the aspirations of the local community with quality green space, infrastructure improvements and increased biodiversity.
Benefiting the community
The studio project to benefit the existing community
with the offer of a low carbon facility that boosts employment, education, skills and use of green space (through assisting
with the Country Park).
Economy
More than 4000 new jobs will be created – 2000 technical and production roles created by Marlow Film Studios, with a further 2000 jobs in the wider economy as filmmaking budgets buy a broad range of adjacent services and goods. Two-thirds of production budgets go outside filming to the local and wider economy. Building Marlow Film Studios is a £750m investment. It will be able to accommodate several productions at any one time, giving a consistent level of activity, supporting wider facilities such as the academy and bus services, which would not be viable for smaller studios. There are twice as many creative industry jobs within the Buckinghamshire economy than the national average and, one in five young people in the UK list this sector as their top career choice.
Education
Marlow Film Studios will strengthen skills in the sector with a dedicated culture and skills academy on-site. The Studios will fund and deliver traineeships for at least 300 new entrants into the sector over the first five years, one third of which will come from the local area. Special weighting will be given to enrol candidates from underrepresented backgrounds. The academy will also act as a hub for further training with Buckinghamshire New University, Bucks College Group and others, as well as being available for community cultural events, fostering a creative hub.
Transport
Upgrades to A404/Westhorpe Roundabout, including smart signals and layout improvements, will accommodate studio traffic, along with an enhanced pedestrian and cycle route. This results in the junction working better in future years than the current 50-year-old layout. Two new public bus services will be delivered, one from High Wycombe to Maidenhead (featuring a Marlow to Elizabeth Line journey in 20 mins) and the second around Marlow to include stops in local communities and Bourne End. There will be a public transport interchange on site at the Entrance Square. This will encourage a shift from private cars (which are capped at 60% of studio journeys). There will be over 1,000 strictly managed parking spaces on site, with production companies required to book in advance and to mandate use of public transport for a proportion of employees. The quality of the permanent film infrastructure and facilities on-site reduces the need for a proportion of workers to transport their own equipment, enabling fewer car journeys.
Biodiversity, Habitats and Public Access
Plans include voluntary commitment to achieve 20% biodiversity net gain. This includes 60 acres of land north of Council-owned Spake Oak Lake nature reserve, less than a mile from the site, will be managed under long-term agreements to complement the Country Park vision including for biodiversity and new paths for cyclists and pedestrians.
25 acres of the site (more than a quarter) will be managed for biodiversity and quiet recreation under long term agreements. The 15 acres surrounding the Backlot will be managed exclusively for biodiversity with the 10 acres next to Westhorpe Lake providing for quiet public recreation and biodiversity enhancements.
with the offer of a low carbon facility that boosts employment, education, skills and use of green space (through assisting
with the Country Park).
Economy
More than 4000 new jobs will be created – 2000 technical and production roles created by Marlow Film Studios, with a further 2000 jobs in the wider economy as filmmaking budgets buy a broad range of adjacent services and goods. Two-thirds of production budgets go outside filming to the local and wider economy. Building Marlow Film Studios is a £750m investment. It will be able to accommodate several productions at any one time, giving a consistent level of activity, supporting wider facilities such as the academy and bus services, which would not be viable for smaller studios. There are twice as many creative industry jobs within the Buckinghamshire economy than the national average and, one in five young people in the UK list this sector as their top career choice.
Education
Marlow Film Studios will strengthen skills in the sector with a dedicated culture and skills academy on-site. The Studios will fund and deliver traineeships for at least 300 new entrants into the sector over the first five years, one third of which will come from the local area. Special weighting will be given to enrol candidates from underrepresented backgrounds. The academy will also act as a hub for further training with Buckinghamshire New University, Bucks College Group and others, as well as being available for community cultural events, fostering a creative hub.
Transport
Upgrades to A404/Westhorpe Roundabout, including smart signals and layout improvements, will accommodate studio traffic, along with an enhanced pedestrian and cycle route. This results in the junction working better in future years than the current 50-year-old layout. Two new public bus services will be delivered, one from High Wycombe to Maidenhead (featuring a Marlow to Elizabeth Line journey in 20 mins) and the second around Marlow to include stops in local communities and Bourne End. There will be a public transport interchange on site at the Entrance Square. This will encourage a shift from private cars (which are capped at 60% of studio journeys). There will be over 1,000 strictly managed parking spaces on site, with production companies required to book in advance and to mandate use of public transport for a proportion of employees. The quality of the permanent film infrastructure and facilities on-site reduces the need for a proportion of workers to transport their own equipment, enabling fewer car journeys.
Biodiversity, Habitats and Public Access
Plans include voluntary commitment to achieve 20% biodiversity net gain. This includes 60 acres of land north of Council-owned Spake Oak Lake nature reserve, less than a mile from the site, will be managed under long-term agreements to complement the Country Park vision including for biodiversity and new paths for cyclists and pedestrians.
25 acres of the site (more than a quarter) will be managed for biodiversity and quiet recreation under long term agreements. The 15 acres surrounding the Backlot will be managed exclusively for biodiversity with the 10 acres next to Westhorpe Lake providing for quiet public recreation and biodiversity enhancements.
3.5x
High budget films are 3.5 times more likely to be top grossing films if made in the UK rather than California.
410%
Growth in inward investment in HETV (High End Television) between 2013 and 2019.
10x
The number of Films produced in the UK increased tenfold between 1999 and 2020.
£4bn
Investment in film and HETV is a government priority, with a target to double revenues by 2025.
79%
Of the country’s turnover in film and HETV and 70% of the companies are concentrated in London and the South East.
2.5x
London produced 2.5 times more blockbusters (40 with $100m+ budget) than the second largest cluster Atlanta (16) over the period 2015-19.
4x
Employment in production industries in Buckinghamshire has grown more than four-fold relative to the general employment (73% versus 17%) in the past decade.