Application Submitted For New Film and TV Studio in Berkshire.
- Posted On:January 08, 2023
An application has been made where it could see an area of Berkshire catering for high end TV series and blockbuster movies if permission is granted. A new film and TV studio could be built on the site located off Forest Green Road to the land north and south of Grays Lane, Holyport. The site is thought to be the perfect location for a film and TV studio given its proximity to London, the M25 and Heathrow Airport
Greystoke Land wants to create this new studio space due to the ever increasing demand in the film and TV industry here in the UK. Greystoke Land said that it has chosen this location due to its proximity to Heathrow Airport, London, and the M25. The application said: "Within the South East, the majority of studios in London remain situated to the west, being in close proximity to London, Heathrow Airport, the M3, M4, and M25 motorways and extensive railway connections."
The application went on to say that the largest cluster of film studios in the UK is in the southeast. According to Greystoke Land, the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead forms part of this 'Creative South East’ region, making it the perfect place for filming.
If permission is given the applicant will be creating two film production clusters called 'Holyport Studios' that will join together via a walkway. Sites A and B will be made up of a mix of sound stages, workshops, and offices. Greystoke Lands said that they be prepared to "host major film productions" highlighting hat separate projects could be shot at the same time at respective sites. The proposed studio would also include a 'backlot' which is an external site used to shoot scenes outdoors. This 'backlot' would be located in an area called Site C.
Also within the application there are plans to include a Virtual Reality Studio within the Media Village in Site. This could offer CGI creation, augmented reality, virtual reality, gaming, web design, and web design development.
4D Studio chartered architects have drawn up plans on behalf of the developer and says that it will have landscaping and ecology "at its heart", offering green buffer zones around the site to create and enrich new woodland. It also wants to create great crested newt ponds, hedgerows, bat flight lines, and a new pond.
The applicant has stressed that it is important to create a purpose-built site rather than convert a warehouse, as it is "more feasible and economical to accommodate and design-in infrastructure via purpose-built facilities". It gives the acclaimed Pinewood Studios and says that there is a push to create sites like these as "major production companies including Amazon, Netflix, and Disney + are showing greater interest and long-term commitment to producing their content in the UK."