Labour strategy to boost film studio construction

A government intervention on a proposed £750 million film studio in Marlow highlights promising construction prospects for screen-based media facilities.

In what its backers see as an encouraging sign, a planning decision on the Marlow Film Studios (pictured) – which had been rejected by Buckinghamshire County Council – is now to be taken directly by housing secretary Angela Rayner, potentially avoiding a planning enquiry.

If it goes ahead, Dido Property’s scheme would involve the development of almost 169,000 sq m of floorspace across sound stages, workshops, offices, and studio hubs along with infrastructure and access roads (Project ID: 21328661).

Angela Rayner is also due to decide on proposals for Holyport Studios, a £100 million film and TV complex at nearby Maidenhead in Berkshire, where an appeal has recently been lodged. If approved, Greystoke Land’s scheme will involve space with a floor area of almost 85,000 sq m (Project ID: 22386659).

Demand for production space

Film-making capacity is expanding to meet the growing demand for production space from the major streaming services in a sector where the UK is a global leader with a skilled workforce.

Recent governments have also been keen to cultivate the sector. The Conservatives’ last Budget included tax incentives for independent filmmakers and increased tax relief for visual effects in films and high-end TV productions. Meanwhile, a 40% reduction on business rates for eligible UK film studios should appeal to large studio facilities and attract more global productions to the UK.

Labour is also eager to promote the UK as a film location. Its recently published Industrial Strategy highlighted the UK’s role as a global centre for screen production with a spend worth £4.23 billion in 2023, of which almost 80% was through inward investment. The new strategy aims to foster growth in the sector by taking advantage of the UK creative industries’ global comparative advantages and to boost private investment and exports.

Glenigan data shows the scale of recent projects in the sector including the £350 million Eastbrook Studios in Dagenham, London’s largest film and TV studio (Project ID: 21415715), and the £500 million Shepperton Film Studios Redevelopment (Project ID: 18311697). Meanwhile, work on the £190 million Warner Brothers Studios Expansion near Watford is set to continue until the end of 2026 (Project ID: 22119046).

Glenigan data also highlights new work opportunities in the sector. For example, detailed plans have been submitted and work is set to start next spring on the £108.6 million Gilette Building Studios in Hounslow in west London. The scheme is at the pre-tender stage and will involve extensive refurbishment plus new buildings to act as studios for virtual production, film, and digital content creation across a floor area of almost 35,000 sq m (Project ID: 24263043).

Studios outside the capital

Developers are also looking at film studio schemes beyond the capital. Detailed plans have been granted and work is set to start early in the new year on a £70 million film studio in Liverpool, The Littlewood Project. It involves a refurbishment and extension to create over 25,000 sq m of space. A structural consultant has recently been appointed to the scheme, where work is set to run for two years (Project ID: 16011514).

In Sunderland, work is set to start towards the end of this year on the city council’s huge £450 million Crown Works Studios involving 518,000 sqm of space with 20 sound stages, along with production buildings and workshops. When completed in 2027, the project is expected to be one of the largest film studios in Europe (Project ID: 23063401).

Meanwhile, tenders have been returned and work is set to start next spring on the separate £37 million Shipyard Studios project in Sunderland which will transform a former shipyard into a film studio and creative hub (Project ID: 20411199).

In Scotland, work on a £48.6 million film studio project in Sterling’s Forthside Barracks is due to start in the new year which will include over 9,000 sqm of studio space and over 10,000 sq m of production. Sterling Studios is part of a local city regional deal where Sterling Council is the client and Turner & Townsend, is the project manager (Project ID: 23028790).

Smaller film studio projects also offer potential for new contracts. In Wokingham for example, detailed plans have been granted and work is set to start next spring on Winnersh Film Studios involving around 6,700 sq m of floorspace (Project ID: 22353577).