Pinewood Shepperton’s plan to build 1,500 homes among working sets of streetscapes will next month go before the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

Since the film and TV facilities group first outlined proposals for ‘Project Pinewood’ it has faced sustained local opposition to create a “living and working community for the creative industries”.

In September 2008 the scheme was scaled back, when Pinewood reduced the proposed number of houses from 2,500 to 1,500 after neighbouring villages raised concerns about potential traffic congestion and noise.

Pinewood today said the public inquiry against the refusal by South Buckinghamshire District Council of planning permission will begin on 5 April 2011.

In December last year Buckinghamshire County Council rejected an application by local residents in opposition to Project Pinewood to register part of the proposed site as a town or village green.

Pinewood said that last year it spent £1.2m on the project, including legal fees fighting the village green application.

Total costs incurred since the project was unveiled in 2007 stand at £6m.

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