Roger Gawn’s plans to build TV and film studio at Tattersett Business Park look set to go ahead as North Norfolk District Council planners recommend approval

The millionaire owner of a business park’s tyre mountain has his heart set on creating a TV and film studio on his site.

Roger Gawn, the man behind a controversial collection of tyres at Tattersett Business Park, has ambitions which look set to go ahead and will see him switch from rubber to the silver screen.

An application to create a TV and film studio on the former RAF base has been recommended for approval by North Norfolk District Council officers.

He hopes to build a new facility that will include five stages for films to be shot at as well as eight workshops and production offices.

It is thought the project will cost between £50m and £100m and could create 350 direct jobs and a further 250 indirect ones.

Mr Gawn, who also owns the Melton Hall stately home in Melton Constable, has had the collection previously been described as an “environmental ticking time bomb” in the event of a fire but he is now in the process of removing the huge pile of rubber and has taken away a third of the tyres so far, according to officers.

After buying the site in April 2009, Gawn vowed to finally bring an end to the infamous mountain, but over the years, it grew to a collection of about a million used tyres with reports saying they arrived in daily lorry loads.

In 2015, North Norfolk District Council served him with an enforcement notice to clear the site by November 2018 – which was not done.

Mr Gawn insists he has been actively clearing the site and about a third has now been removed but previously said it will take time to complete and that Covid hampered his efforts.

However, villagers are concerned about the project after years of frustration that the tyres still have not been removed entirely.

Tattersett Parish Council has objected, fearing there is no guarantee the mountain will be removed and saying it has “little confidence” the project will be completed due to funding not being in place.

Environmental protection officers from North Norfolk District Council have also opposed the scheme, predominantly due to noise concerns.

While the project remains contentious, planning officials have called for it to be approved providing more information is provided to show rivers will not be polluted through “nutrient loading” from the development.

Mr Gawn hopes his studio can capitalise on the growing number of productions being filmed in Norfolk such as Wicked, which had scenes filmed in Terrington as well as Deadpool & Wolverine, with scenes filmed at Holkham Beach.

A decision is due this week when councillors will meet to discuss the application on Thursday.