The chairman of Pinewood Studios, Lord Grade, has accused four local councillors who voted against plans for a £200m expansion of the studio complex of being ‘irrational’.
The outburst came as Grade prepared to bypass South Buckinghamshire District Council to take his case directly to the government after losing the vote 6-4.
Plans for the expansion were first submitted back in 2009 amidst concern that existing limitations were jeopardising the studios ability to produce blockbusters such as Skyfall, Pirates of the Carribean and Snow White.
This calls for a doubling of the existing site onto 100 acres of greenbelt land.
Grade opined: “It really was very close and it was more about emotion than rational argument. I don’t know what planet these people are on.
“Britain is desperate for jobs, kids need jobs, and this is going to create thousands in one of our few growth industries.
“We’re talking about blighted grazing land on the edge of the M25,” he said. “It’s not exactly leafy Bucks.”