Fate of US TV filming plan in Swinley Forest to be decided

A US film studio has applied to use Swinley Forest as a location for a year for an unknown project.

This will involve building 15 temporary cabin for actors and staff to use on location.

The film studio has argued that there would be no long term impact on the land, as all temporary buildings would be taken down once shooting is completed.

The cabins would be located on land off Buttersteep Rise west of Ascot.

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The company has had to apply to Bracknell Forest Council for consent to film on the land.

However, the studio is likely to have its ambitions to film in the forest scuppered as the council’s planning officer Trevor Yerworth has recommended that the application be refused.

This is largely because Swinley Forest is designated Green Belt land. Developers and planning applicants can only build on Green Belt land if they can demonstrate ‘very special circumstances’ for their application.

Swinley Forest Site Proposal, including 15 temporary buildings and fencing. Credit: Bracknell Planning Application 20/01063/FUL

In the planning application papers, the applicants stated: “It is appreciated that Green Belt must be protected against development, however, the conflicting objective of economic growth and protection of the countryside must be weighed up against the need to support the creative arts sector. In this respect it is submitted that the damage to the film industry through loss of investment in the UK outweighs the harm to the Green Belt.”

As well as arguing that the Green Belt would be impacted, planning officer Mr Yerworth said the use of the land for filming “would detract from the rural character and appearance of the area and be detrimental to the enjoyment of its recreational value.”

The plan involves building a perimeter fence around 12 of the 15 temporary cabins. He also argued that the quiet character of the area would face disruption due to the need for vehicles to have regular access to the site.

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The fate of the plan to film in Swinley Forest is set to be decided at the council’s planning meeting at 7.30pm on Thursday, June 17.

You can observe the plan by entering planning reference 20/01063/FUL into Bracknell Forest Council’s planning website, https://planapp.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/online-applications/ .

A decision on the application was meant to be made on Thursday, May 20, but the decision was deferred when the film studio’s applicants submitted additional information on the same day as the meeting.

At the time, the committee’s chairman Councillor Colin Dudley (Conservative) felt members had not been given enough time to consider this additional information, so he deferred the decision.