Beaconsfield MP Joy Morrissey writes:

Since my election in 2019 I have made protecting the Green Belt my top priority. I have argued for more protections for green spaces, agricultural land and wonderful local parks such as Colne Valley Regional Park and Little Marlow Lakes Country Park. I have made these arguments to planning committees, planning inspectors, Ministers and even the Prime Minister.

In the Ivers there is the triple threat of Pinewood Studios, a proposed motorway service area and a raft of data centre applications. Last year I founded the Iver Action Group, to bring together local councillors, resident’s groups, and local people to find coordinated solutions for the problems faced in the Ivers.

Through that group we have organised a coordinated campaign to hold back these completely unnecessary and damaging projects. Currently we are fighting several major applications from first instance to appeal. I am engaging with Buckinghamshire Council, the Minister for Roads, the Department for Transport and HS2 Ltd to make sure that if these developments have to happen, it will be somewhere suitable for the purpose, rather than the Ivers.

I know that there is great strength of feeling from residents in and around the area of the proposed Marlow Film Studios in the Little Marlow Lakes Country Park. I have been to see the area many times and its importance to the local landscape, wildlife and biodiversity make it the wrong place to site such a development, a view I made abundantly clear in my objection to the application.

There are times where the fight against inappropriate development goes beyond the planning application and developers seek to appeal the decision of democratic local representatives. This is the case with the Beeches Park development in Beaconsfield, which seeks to place a significant amount of new housing on beautiful green fields, trampling ancient woodland in the process, when there are brown field sites available.

I have been in close contact with Buckinghamshire Council on this process and I am pleased to say that they are committing full and comprehensive resources. Appointing one of the most experienced planning consultants in the country and retaining Kings Counsel to fight the appeal show how seriously we take this issue.

My commitment to you is that I will continue to fight for you and your communities to protect our stunning countryside.