Plans to develop a 100 acre plot of land into a series of permanent film sets have been cancelled by Pinewood studios after the government finally ruled out providing planning permission. The sets, which would have included imitation sections of Paris, New Orleans and New York City, were intended to reduce the costs and complications of film projects over the long term. They would have been supported by a village providing temporary accommodation for cast and crew members.
Pinewood, which has been working on the plan for four years, saw its share price drop significantly after the announcement was made. It contends that the development would have created 1,000 jobs and injected billions of pounds into the Buckinghamshire economy over the next few decades. But campaigners against it were concerned that it was scheduled to be built on greenbelt land and would significantly increase traffic in the surrounding rural area.
