Marlow residents have voted ‘no’ to multi-million-pound plans for a film studios on greenbelt land near the town.
85 per cent of voters said they did not want to see Marlow Film Studios built in a parish poll yesterday (May 9).
The poll, which was called by residents, saw more than 2,000 ballots handed out across polling stations in the town.
Robert Laycock, CEO of Marlow Film Studios, said: “We note the results of the Marlow Parish Poll.
“It was initiated by groups who wanted to use this mechanism to suggest widespread opposition to our planning application.
“We respect their full rights to express views and are also grateful for those voters who support Marlow Film Studios.”
The divisive film studios application, set for land next to the A404 in Little Marlow, has seen vocal opposition from residents and campaigners.
The parish poll itself was arranged during a meeting last month in which Marlow residents called on members of their town council to resign over its backing for the studios.
Sam Kershaw from Save Marlow’s Greenbelt (SMG), a campaign group against the film studios, said:
“SMG is delighted with the result of yesterday’s parish poll in which 85% voted against the film studio.
“It clearly shows that the vast majority of the 2,032 Marlovians who are familiar with the issues have concluded that it will be bad for the area.
“This is hardly surprising given the certainty of traffic congestion and environmental harm and the uncertainty about any benefits ever being provided.”
Residents were asked to vote on two questions in the poll.
Responding to ‘do you wish Marlow Film Studios to be built?’ – 1,730 people voted no and 302 voted yes.
A further 1741 people voted no on the question of ‘do you want development in the greenbelt on the scale proposed by Marlow Film Studios. 267 voted in favour’.
However, of the more than 11,000 people eligible to vote in Marlow 18 per cent turned out to have their say on the studios.
And in his statement, Mr Laycock also pointed to the ‘low turnout’ of the studio vote.
“The low turnout, and the limited numbers who voted against the questions on the parish poll do not suggest a high level of public opposition to our plans,” he said.
A separate poll – commissioned by the film studios – found that nearly 80 per cent of respondents near to the studio site were in favour of its construction.
It surveyed 152 residents living within five miles of the proposed Marlow Film Studios site.
But Mr Kershaw argued the parish poll result – which saw more than 2,000 responses – was a far better indication of opinion.
The parish poll has no legal bearing on the film studios application which could be decided at a Buckinghamshire Council meeting at the end of this month.
For the full parish poll results see the Marlow Town Council website.