Welcome

Here we go again!

Friday 1st Feb 2013
Today Pinewood Studios submitted new planning applications 13/00175/OUT and 13/00176/FUL, totally disregarding the opinions and feelings of local people. Between 2007 and 2012 local people have been fighting Project Pinewood to prevent inappropriate development in the green belt and have listened to Pinewood stress how essential the building of 1400 dwellings was, to their future position in the creative industry, until, in Jan 2012 the application was finally rejected.

Now Pinewood would have us believe that, on the same 110 acre site, they absolutely must have 8 new sound stages to ensure the future of the company and their position in the creative industry ( Hang on I’ve heard this before somewhere). When in reality the truth of the matter is, Pinewood own over 100 acres of green belt land and want to build anything on it that will make them a few million and supply their greed. They don't care about the greenbelt and they certainly don't care about people, this they have already proven.

So yet again it is left to us, the good people of Iver Heath, to put a stop to this inappropriate development. We must join forces with all who are fighting to save the green belt for ourselves and for future generations and prevent this green and pleasant land from becoming a concrete jungle.

In November 2007 Pinewood Studios announced plans for a substantial development of permanent live-in film lots on 100 acres of prime greenfield, Green Belt land next to their current studios. In January 2012 the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government accepted the recommendation of the Planning Inspector and rejected the Appeal because of the harm it would cause to the Green Belt.

Now Pinewood are once again considering expanding their business by developing the Green Belt land adjacent to their Studios. They have engaged a company called Soundings to canvass the opinion of local, and not so local, people in order to determine what level of development might be accepted. It is time to demonstrate that along with the National Trust and the Council for Protection of Rural England we are in the words of Caroline Spelman the Environment Secretary "implacable on the green belt" 

To have your say contact pinewood@soundingsoffice.com or phone 02077291705 and register your concern for the future of the Green Belt

Upcoming events

Street Consultation
Sunday 8th July
11.00am - 2.00pm Iver Heath, outside the Co-op, Thornbridge Road
3.00pm - 6.00pm Fulmer, outside the Village Hall

Public Workshop (you must RSVP to attend)
A public workshop to discuss the initial consultation findings and emerging principles for the development framework for Pinewood Studios.
Wednesday 18th July 6.30pm - 9.00pm (doors open 6.00pm) Pinewood Studios, Pinewood Road, Iver Heath, SL0 0NH
Please RSVP to reserve a place by contacting us on 020 7729 1705 or pinewood@soundingsoffice.com

Drop-in Exhibition
If you are unable to attend the workshop, we will be holding a drop-in exhibition in Iver Heath at the following times:
Friday 20th July
11.00am - 4.00pm The Royal British Legion Hall, Church Road, Iver Heath, SL0 0RD
Saturday 21st July
11.00am - 4.00pm The Royal British Legion Hall, Church Road, Iver Heath, SL0 0RD

Caroline Spelman, who is Conservative MP for a "green belt constituency" on the edge of Birmingham, has said "Green belt was created in the 1950s in order to protect the countryside from urban sprawl ... and green belt needs to be maintained." David Cameron, the Prime Minister, also stated, on national TV that the Green Belt would remain protected under the new National Planning Policy Framework so it is inconceivable that Pinewood should be considering further plans to build on the Green Belt.

 "it would be stupid to relax the green-belt rules....because this would ruin the point of Britain"  
Jeremy Clarkson

Ivan Dunleavy of Pinewood Studios stated, at the Public Inquiry last year, that Pinewood would continue to be a successful business without Project Pinewood and after the Project was rejected in January the Studios anounced that they would continue to develop the Studio site to their existing Masterplan for which they already have outstanding planning permission. By their own words they have no need to develop the Green Belt and they need to complete development of their existing site before they can make such a claim.

The studio has already wasted spent millions of shareholders money on architects, construction experts, development experts, PR experts, lawyers and full time staff of their own to develop and promote their plans and will no doubt spend even more to try and persuade the government and local people that expansion onto the green Belt is essential. Local residents have no full time staff, little expertise and no money to refute Pinewoods claims in order to protect the landscape and their community, but we will NEVER give up.

Information about the prgress of the consultation can be found at http://www.pinewoodgroup.com/pinewoodexpansion/upcoming-events. They are going to form a liaison group who will meet with Pinewood Studios regularly and discuss proposals and updates. More details on this later on the above website.