Leavesden Studios plans scrutinised by Three Rivers District Council (From Watford Observer)

Leavesden Studios plans scrutinised by Three Rivers District Council

10:39am Friday 19th March 2010 in

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The plan to turn Leavesden Studios into one of the world’s leading film production centres was debated by councillors and members of the public last night.

Three Rivers District Council, which must approve or reject Warner Brothers’ plans for a redevelopment programme worth an estimated £100 million, heard voices of strong support and equally strong discontentment at a development control committee meeting in Rickmansworth.

Plans, unveiled in January, would see production and filming space dramatically expanded at the former aerodrome site – home to the globally popular Harry Potter series of films for the last ten years.

The company, which wants to turn the ramshackle collection of former aircraft hangers into its European filming base, was requested last night to address the numerous concerns of local residents before a final decision can be made – possibly as early as next month.

Terry Wooding, of the Huntonbury Village Estate, expressed the strong sense of frustration felt by the 128 signatories to a petition criticising the way Warner Brothers had handled the case.

Mr Wooding, who stressed he and his neighbours actually welcomed the scheme, claimed the company had given insufficient time for them to effectively judge its potential impact.

He told the meeting: “Warner Brothers’ behaviour in this application is that of a bully and not a good neighbour. I believe the full application came as an ambush because the company wanted no effective opposition. “This remains an unnecessary way of proceeding, and while there remains much good will towards the proposal, there is much resentment at the fact that we were excluded from supporting the application in the planning stage.”

The committee, he said, should set stringent conditions on the application, including restrictions on noise pollution, visitor centre opening hours, and traffic.

Leavesden councillor Stephen-Giles Medhurst raised all of these concerns, and more, in a lengthy address to committee members.

Parking and waiting restrictions, he said, may have to be agreed in neighbouring roads to prevent over-spill car parking of staff and visitors in neighbouring roads.

Referring to plans to allow up to 2,000 visitors a day to tour the site – in addition to hundreds of staff and crew arriving each day for work – he said: “The visitor centre opening times [10am to 10pm] are a real concern.

“My main concern would be that if you are running at full capacity; if you are filming; if you’ve got all employees, and you’ve got the visitor attraction running at full capacity, would things be okay in that situation?”

He added that a full traffic survey was required of the Huntonbury Village estate was required as soon as possible – paid for by the applicant – to properly judge current traffic levels. A forum of residents, councillors, and company officials, he further added, should also be established to work through any future problems.

Other committee members, however, including Councillor Chris Hayward, were more direct in their support for the proposals.

He said: “I think this is the most exciting scheme that I have seen come before this committee for many years. Of course we need to take these issues on board but, in principal, let’s say how delighted we are to have this application before us.”