4D Studio’s scheme near Maidenhead would have included 15 sound studios on rural site
Angela Rayner has refused plans by Fulham-based practice 4D Studio for a major film studio on a rural site in Berkshire despite the land being classed as grey belt.
The communities secretary agreed with a planning inspector’s recommendation to reject an appeal by developer Greystoke Land for the 43ha scheme near Maidenhead.
Housing minister Matthew Pennycook, writing on behalf of Rayner, notified Greystoke earlier this month that the scheme would cause harm to the green belt and harm the character of the local landscape.
The outline application was submitted in 2022 and refused by the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in 2024, with the applicant taking the decision to appeal. The planning inspectorate recommended upholding the refusal following a public inquiry in November last year.
The scheme would have seen the construction of around 21,000sq m of soundstage space in 15 soundstages, along with a three-acre backlot, a virtual reality and gaming facility and a 17-acre nature park.
Greystoke updated its position following the government’s revisions to the National Planning Policy Framework in December last year which created the new grey belt land class, defined as parts of the countryside which fail to meet certain green belt purposes.
However, Rayner is said to have agreed with the inspector that the scheme was still in conflict with local development policy, despite concluding the land should be considered grey belt.
Key issues weighing against the application were said to be its impact on the openness of the surrounding area, harm to public right of way paths and harm to several nearby heritage assets including the grade II-listed John Gay’s House, a country house dating back to the early 17th century.
Greystoke now has six weeks after the date of Pennycook’s letter on 6 June to appeal Rayner’s decision.
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