Plan for Berkshire 'Bridgerton' set looks like being rejected
Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead are not impressed with plans for a 2-hectare site near Ascot
Last updated 18th May 2021
A plan to film the Netflix series Bridgerton on a film set in Berkshire looks like being turned down.
Producers were hoping to film Bridgerton, which has been streamed by more than 82 million households around the world, at a site near the Royal Ascot Golf Club in Windsor Great Park.
The plan would have seen the famous Bridgerton London square film set built in a field and left standing for five years with filming taking place between 6 and 8 weeks a year.
The entire site would have been two-hectares.
In addition to the main set, there would also be portacabin office, independent power and water supply, tech area and storage containers, a marquee for costumes and dining and construction, and general waste skips.
The majority of these facilities will only be brought onto the site during filming week.
To the east of the site, 150 car parking spaces will be provided for the cast and crew members.
Councillors on the Royal Borough Development Management panel will meet face-to-face for the first time at the Holiday Inn in Maidenhead on Wednesday, May 19, to consider this application.
Planning officers have recommended the plans to be refused over fears of the ‘loss of openness’ to the green belt and will affect the character of the area.
In the report, they write: “The proposal is inappropriate development in the Green Belt and would result in loss of openness to the Green Belt and lead to encroachment of development in the countryside.
“‘Very special circumstances’ do not exist in this case to justify granting planning permission and the proposal.
They add: “The proposal would detract from the rural character and appearance of the area and be detrimental to the recreational value of the public footpath.
“Insufficient information has been submitted to demonstrate that protected species and/or their habitats would not be adversely affected by the proposal.”
All this despite the production company saying the film set would have created 'considerable financial benefits to the local economy'.