High Wycombe is set to become a global hub for film and high-end TV production with the arrival of Wycombe Film Studios. The eight-stage sustainable studio campus has received full planning permission, marking a new era of filmmaking for the area.
Stage one is fully operational and ready for productions, with the remaining seven stages and studio facilities expected to be completed in the next 18 months. With almost 295,000 sq ft of high-quality production space, Wycombe Film Studios offers purpose-built professional facilities to attract worldwide content makers.
Wycombe Film Studios is one of the closest new studio developments to London, and it’s in a perfect location with many film industry suppliers and crew based in High Wycombe. It will support around 1,200 jobs and generate an estimated £305m economic output (GVA), including training opportunities for young people who want to enter the film industry.
James Enright, CEO of Stage Fifty, said: “Wycombe Film Studios will be a unique creative space that works for everyone. We’ll deliver the same high level of service and personal attention to clients here as we do at Farnborough Film Studios and Winnersh Film Studios. Across our UK locations, we’ll offer the industry over 20 sound stages supporting a combination of large, medium and small-budget films and HETV, from Hollywood blockbusters to independent film and television. We also plan to build live broadcast sound stages for homebound unscripted television.”
Stage Fifty has developed new technologies and innovative ways to build its studios more sustainably. Wycombe Film Studios boasts impressive eco credentials, with green spaces designed throughout the site, creating new habitats for wildlife and improving the studio environment for everyone who works there.
This project has been three years in the making, and the team is incredibly proud that Buckinghamshire Council recognised the benefits the studio will bring to the local area.
Martin Tett, Leader of Buckinghamshire Council, said: “Buckinghamshire is the home of the UK’s film industry, so we’re delighted that planning permission has now been granted for Wycombe Film Studios. With its state-of-the-art facilities, the studios will be a hub of creativity. They’ll also be a catalyst for economic growth in the area, generating around 750 direct jobs and a further 450 indirect jobs, as well as providing new opportunities for education and training.
“Buckinghamshire has a rich history of attracting TV and film productions to the county, thanks to its vibrant towns, historic buildings, and picturesque landscapes – and the new studios are sure to build on this success.
“With its prime location just off the A40, Wycombe Film Studios is set to become a vital and exciting part of the local community.”
“It has been a pleasure to work with the team at Stage Fifty and its consultants on this important milestone for this regionally significant scheme. The demand from producers of high-end TV and films remains unrelenting and we look forward to seeing which one lands at Wycombe Film Studios.” Commented Neil Seager, Partner at Haslams Surveyors LLP, advisor to Stage Fifty
Added by
Neil Seager
BSc (Hons) MRICS