Issue - meetings

210387

Meeting: 24/03/2021 - Planning Committee (Item 71)

71 Application No.210387 - Land South Of Cutbush Lane (West Of Oldhouse Farm Lane) And Gateway 4 plot at TVSP pdf icon PDF 1 MB

Recommendation: Conditional approval subject to legal agreement

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Proposal: Full application for the erection of Film studio stages and workshops (for a temporary period of 5 years). To include access to the site via Old House Lane / Cutbush Lane, car parking, ancillary buildings to support the use of the site and landscaping, with a workshop to be included on Gateway 4 plot at Thames Valley Science Park.

 

Applicant: Shinfield Studios

 

The Committee received and reviewed a report about this application, set out in agenda pages 5 to 92.

 

The Committee were advised that the Members’ Update included:

 

·           Correction that the size of the buildings should read 14,080m2;

·           Various amendments of recommendations A and C;

·           Updated list of plans associated with condition 2;

·           Updated document reference for condition 8, and updated Construction Environmental Management Plan reference;

·           Amendment of condition 17 to remove reference to hard landscaping as these details had since been approved;

·           Additional condition related to a lighting plan;

·           Clarification that 30 cycle spaces were proposed;

·           Clarification that the Ecology Officer raised no objections and the package of offsite biodiversity enhancements had been secured;

·           Correction to paragraph 10, to read 2017 rather than 2007;

·           Correction to paragraph 51, to state 200m2 of solar panels rather than 200 panels as stated;

·           Correction to paragraph 61, to state that 10 blue badge spaces would be provided rather than the 9 stated;

·           Letter of full support from Arborfield and Newland Parish Council;

·           Two letters of support from the Department of Digital, Cultural, Media and Sport outlining the economic gains of the media sector;

·           4 further letters of support and a further letter of objection from residents;

·           Letter of objection from the owners of Shinfield Grange – University College Estate of Management.

 

Nick Smith, applicant, spoke in support of the application. Nick stated that despite the current economic downturn, the film industry was ‘booming’, however a lack of studio space was limiting the growth of this sector. Nick added that there was a real and significant opportunity with this application to put Shinfield, Wokingham, and Berkshire on the global film studio map. Nick stated that the inward investment of millions of pounds in addition to the local job creation was significant, which would have lasting long terms benefits going forwards. Content production was the fastest growing industry in the UK, with quarter four of 2020 generating £1.2 billion of inward investment. Nick stated that there was an acute shortage of studio space to meet the needs of big names such as Disney, Netflix and Apple, and the Government was targeting a 65 percent growth which equated to approximately 1.8 million square feet of studio space across the UK. Provision of these spaces would benefit communities, creating investment opportunities and many new jobs. Nick added that a typical production would spend £80m to £100m in any 12 month period, with a significant proportion of this spend occurring locally. In addition, a typical production would require around 500 crew, which would create a number of local highly paid job opportunities. Nick  ...  view the full minutes text for item 71