The hot topic of the Marlow Film Studios proposal has been complicated further by an apparent dip in TV watching - but what does it all mean?

Since it was submitted for planning permission last year, the proposed Marlow Film Studios development has been subject to rampant local controversy.

Should Green Belt land be used to house a film studios development? Should the government instead focus on "restoring and enhancing the Green Belt" as suggested by Campaign to Protect Rural England?

Or is the demand for studio space in the UK so great that any available space - especially that bordering a busy motorway - should be snapped up immediately?

The debate is further complicated by reports of the high-end television industry in California taking a nosedive, with Netflix and Disney seeing a post-pandemic drop in subscribers and reportedly trimming down production budgets as a result.

US-based creatives told Vanity Fair this month that bigwig executives are falling back on reliably popular content, rather than risking anything that might break the mould or the bank.

It's a bleak reality for envelope pushers across the pond, but how does this downtick in the success of streamers affect the UK film and high-end TV industry?

According to BFI Director Judy Wells, it all but doesn't.

With the current Writers Guild of America strikes contributing to the strain on Hollywood creatives, Ms Wells said that if anything, production companies looking to set up shop outside SoCal might just relocate to the UK.

"What we're absolutely seeing in the UK at the moment is a boom in high-end television and film production. There are lots of factors at play, including tax credits, facilities and skills, that make us a very attractive place to make content at the moment.

"Of course there was a hugely accelerated period of growth for streamers during the pandemic, but in terms of UK production, we're still at a very healthy level."

While the jury's out on what Netflix's long term presence in the UK will look like, it was revealed in April that the company had spent a record £4.8 billion on original UK content since 2020. UK vice-president Anne Mensah told The Guardian that this was due to the country's production of some of Netflix's most watched TV series, including The Crown. 

Real estate consultancy CBRE also recently polled 100 senior film and TV insiders, 84% of whom said production growth in the UK would require the same amount or more development space in the next year.

Campaigners opposed to the Marlow Film Studios proposal, however, are specifically focused on the development's location, which they say is rendered unnecessary by nearby developments including the recently-approved Wycombe Studios.

Chair of Save Marlow's Green Belt Richard Sherwin said: "We are not anti-film or anti-film studio at all. There is so much growth and expansion across the country at the moment - why do you need 90 acres of Green Belt when there's space elsewhere?"

Groups such as CPRE and SMGB argue that Green Belt land, which makes up nearly 13% of all land in the country, should continue to be preserved and not built upon except in exceptional circumstances.

In a post on the CPRE website, Philippa Oppenheimer wrote: “Instead of viewing the Green Belts as a limitation to building, we need to focus on restoring and enhancing the Green Belt so it can continue to provide a space for nature and a place to relax, play and grow our food.”

Though a percentage of the Green Belt has already been partially developed and comprises farmland, sewage works and scrubland, parts of it are also rich in nature and biodiversity - benefits which have become a matter of principle for campaigners.

With the culture secretary declaring an "age of the silver screen" in the UK earlier this month and a decision on Marlow Film Studios still hanging in the balance, the question is - is it exceptional enough of a reason?

Click here to view the Marlow Film Studios proposal, which Buckinghamshire Council are set to make a decision on later this year.