Planning matters

The UK's TV and film industry has experienced significant growth due to changing consumer habits, such as binge-watching. To support this, the new government will continue to actively promote the creative industries, including TV and film production, which have grown five times faster than the rest of the economy since 2011. The new Labour government’s agenda includes:

• Enhanced tax incentives: Proposing new tax credits for film distribution and marketing to broaden reach and improve financial returns for independent films​ (Screen).
   
• Regional production hubs: Investing in production infrastructure outside London to develop regional talent and industry growth across the UK​ (Screen).
   
• Cultural and educational support: Promoting arts education to ensure a diverse pipeline of talent for the industry, reversing cuts to creative education​

Lichfields has been instrumental in supporting this growth, providing bespoke planning advice for various TV and film studio developments across the UK. Notable successes include:
 

• Crown Works Studios in Sunderland, a world-class production facility that includes 154,215 sqm (1.66 million sqft) of floorspace. This facility, developed by FulwellCain Studios Limited in conjunction with Sunderland City Council, features sound stages, post-production offices, and workshops for creating and maintaining film studios, props, sets, and equipment. Unique to this permission is the flexibility for temporary planning approval for external filming on areas known as ‘backlots’;

• HOP Studios in Central Bedfordshire; over 1.5M sqft of new production space for the sector with education and the well-being of crew at the heart of the design; and

• Securing the planning consent for Sky Studios Elstree, a major new film and TV studio in Borehamwood which opened in 2022 and comprises 54,513 sqm of floorspace, including, 13 sound stages. Since opening, Sky Studios has hosted major blockbusters like Wicked and Paddington in Peru.

 

Notwithstanding the positive outlook, Knight Frank's October 2023 UK Film and Television Studios Market Report highlights a shift in demand due to changing industry segments. The report suggests that some planned studio spaces may not align with future needs, emphasizing the need for flexible and diverse studio spaces. It states, "The supply of new studio space will need to respond to these changing requirements and perhaps diversify to accommodate new and evolving types of demand."

Planning can support this shift by ensuring new and existing studio spaces can adapt to changing demands. For instance, Lichfields incorporated a flexible temporary element in the Crown Works Studios application to allow for external filming on backlots.

Another tool is the Local Development Order (LDO), which streamlines the planning process for certain types of development. LDOs provide certainty and reduced risk, promoting economic, social, and environmental gains. They are particularly effective for the film and TV industry, offering flexibility not always possible through traditional planning permissions.

Since their introduction through the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act in 2004, the government has actively encouraged the use of LDOs by local authorities to enable growth, incentivise development, and attract investment. They are made by local planning authorities, often in collaboration with landowners or operators, to streamline the planning process by permitting relatively non-contentious development.

 

Lichfields has successfully advised on LDOs for major film and TV studio sites, including Sky Studios Elstree and the BBC. For Sky Studios, LDOs allow for temporary installations like additional lighting, security fixtures, temporary sets, and catering facilities, accommodating the sometimes, unpredictable needs of different productions. This flexibility bridges the gap between the built development allowed through planning permission and the varying operational requirements of different productions and crews based at Sky Studios Elstree. The LDO for the neighbouring Panattoni Park site enables Sky to use a distribution centre for production workshops, cast and crew welfare and catering, spaces for fitting costumes, and other supporting activities including designing and making props, sets and special effects.  during the leasing period.

Similarly, the BBC's LDO for Elstree Studios provides flexibility for temporary structures and filming locations on the Eastenders set, including changes to elevations, backdrops, facades, and materials. The LDO allows future flexibility for structures and filming locations to meet the new needs of the production that may not have been foreseen when the original site’s planning permission was secured.

Both LDOs resulted from collaborative processes between Lichfields, Sky, the BBC, and the local authority. Hertsmere Borough Council highlighted the benefits of LDOs in reducing the disproportionate amount of officer time needed for routine or straightforward development proposals, saving time and money for both parties.

 

Labour’s focus on continuing growth within the creative industries is promising. However, new studio spaces should be flexible to adapt to industry changes. Lichfields' expertise enables us to advise developers and local authorities on leveraging planning applications and LDOs to ensure the success of new and existing TV and film studio sites.

For instance, our success in securing LDOs for Sky Studios and the BBC showcases how these orders can support the operational needs of studios while ensuring developments do not adversely impact the surroundings or environment.

Another emerging opportunity for the sector is the adaption and refurbishment of existing, and in a number of cases, dated studio sites.  Retrofit is particularly high on the London planning agenda (see recent ‘Retrofit First: The City of London, Camden, now Westminster- who will be next?’ blog) and as is often the case, London based planning policy and guidance can lead the way for change elsewhere.  The Lichfields team is actively working on a number of retrofit projects across all sectors at the moment, so there is certainly opportunity for existing studio sites and production companies to review their existing sites to make them more fit for purpose.

Lichfields is committed to supporting the TV and film industry’s growth and adaptability. Our comprehensive understanding of the sector's needs allows us to provide tailored planning advice, ensuring that new and existing studio spaces can meet evolving demands.