A SENIOR councillor and self-confessed film buff has invited a UK film studio to consider setting up in Swindon after its planned £200m expansion in Buckinghamshire was rejected last month.

Coun Dale Heenan, the cabinet member for strategic planning and sustainability, sent a letter to Ivan Dunleavey, the chief executive of Pinewood Studios, extolling the virtues of Swindon as a location for film-making.

This comes after South Buckinghamshire District Council rejected plans to expand the existing site, in Iver Heath, through adding 100,000 sqm of new facilities, including studios and stages, workshops, production offices and streetscapes for filming.

Coun Heenan, an IT project manager, who was once a projectionist at the former Cineworld at Green-bridge, said: “I first saw about this in the Daily Telegraph.

“It caught my interest because it’s Pinewood Studios and I’m a film fan. My first job out of university was at the cinema at Greenbridge.

“ I think it would be fantastic for Swindon to have a Pinewood presence.

“If we could accommodate some of these studios or facilities or production work, it would be fantastic. It would be great for our creative community and also create job opportunities.

“It will also give a clear sign that Swindon is open for business and we will do whatever we can to support any business across the country that wants to relocate to Swindon. This is a speculative opportunity, but there’s no reason at all why we shouldn’t be proactive and look at these kind of cases.”

Pinewood Studios, home to more than 1,500 movies over 76 years, were used to film the latest James Bond instalment, Skyfall, as well as the Oscar-nominated hit film adaption of the musical Les Miserables.

The studio said its expansion was of national importance and was needed to maintain and expand UK film, television and screen-based industries over the next 15 years.

But the district council rejected the plans as inappropriate expansion into green belt land. Pinewood has appealed to the Planning Inspectorate.

Coun Heenan said it would be positive to have any Pinewood facility in Swindon, even if it were not the full expansion, and they could potentially be located in the planned Eastern Villages or on an industrial park which could be regenerated.

In the letter, Coun Heenan invites Mr Dunleavey to meet with himself, council leader David Renard, and council chief executive Gavin Jones.

As well as advertising Swindon’s benefits, he also makes capital of how the former Motorola building, at Groundwell, featured in a Bond film.

He fails, however, to mention Swindon’s most famous claim to big-screen fame – actress Diana Dors, who was born in the town.

He writes: “Swindon is a site of significant business and housing growth over the next 15 years, and the proposals I have seen would I hope be welcomed by many of our local residents for its creative and job opportunities.

“It is worth highlighting Swindon’s involvement as set locations, for example in the 1999 Bond film The World Is Not Enough.”