Pinewood Studio expansion lined up for Birmingham

James Bond could be blazing his way to the Midlands if controversial plans to extend the famous Pinewood Film Studios fall through - reports the Sunday Mercury.

The historic sets have been used to film more than twenty 007 adventures, and dozens of Hollywood blockbusters such as The Da Vinci Code, The Dark Knight and Mission: Impossible.

But an attempt to expand the studios, building a series of live-in film sets close to its Iver Heath site, looks set to be blocked later this month by South Buckinghamshire Council.

The £200 million development, which is being discussed at a planning meeting on October 21, would see copycat versions of often-used film locations like New York and Paris built alongside 1,400 homes.

It is believed that the project will get a thumbs down – and Birmingham, which is currently hosting high-profile TV show Hustle, is waiting in the wings.

Sites including the former MG Rover works at Longbridge have been earmarked for what could be the greatest hijack in the movie industry.

Jonathan Stuart-Brown, from the pressure group Save The British Film Industry, believes that the Midlands could be the new Hollywood.

“Hollywood studios were built in a desert,” he explains. “No-one wanted the sites because the land was cheap, yet the resulting movie business has blessed the world for three generations.

“We in the West Midlands could do the same, but even better. If Pinewood’s application is rejected we need to be in a position to throw our hat in the ring and offer an alternative.

“Longbridge itself is plenty big enough to house the whole thing but there are dozens of places across the region where we could have the studios.

“More than 90 per cent of studio jobs are really factory jobs with posh names – so we have the skills here already.

“We could end up with Hollywood’s biggest stars staying here while they are filming.

“What we need now the powers that be, and people like the NEC and Birmingham Airport, to get behind this and give it momentum.”

His campaign has already won support from two Birmingham politicians.

Northfield MP Richard Burden, who fought to save jobs at the stricken Longbridge plant, said: “The creative industries is an area in the regional economic strategy that we feel the West Midlands can excel at.

“There are not many places big enough to do this – but Longbridge is available. Everyone has heard of it so people would know where the site was.

“It would have to be looked into, but in principle it is very interesting.”

Gisela Stuart, Labour MP for Edgbaston, also gives her backing to the campaign.

“I think it would be a fantastic idea to have a huge new film set in the city,” she told the Sunday Mercury.

“It would create jobs, and be good for the creative industries here.

“Such a project would also get people from all over the world to come here – and they’d see for themselves just how much Birmingham has to offer.”

Pinewood Studios was built in 1934 at Iver Heath in Buckinghamsire, about 20 miles west of central London.

Over the decades it has been at the centre of the British film industry, and is the home of the famous James Bond soundstage used for the shooting of many 007 interior shots.

But new expansion plans have outraged people living nearby. Neighbours of the studios have formed an action group to block the scheme.

Stop Project Pinewood group members have launched a website and have put up signs across the village informing other residents about what they claim the consequences of such a development would be.

Sylvie Lowe, a member of the group, said: “We set up the group to make Pinewood Studios realise the strength of feeling here.

“This project would have a massive effect on the entire area, and the whole of Iver Heath would change forever.

“We are not against the studios and we are proud to have them in our village, but this project is completely unrealistic. If it is allowed to go ahead, it would be a travesty.”

Thanks to `Jonathan ` for the alert.

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