Lights! Camera! Move!
As Britain’s TV studios thrive, more people are relocating to be near the action, says BEN WEST
The explosion of cinema multiplexes, streaming channels and new broadcasters has created unprecedented demand for Britain’s booming television and film industry.
Indeed, more than 200 films and 120 big budget TV shows were made in the UK last year, with a total production spend of almost £3.1 billion, according to the British Film Institute.
It’s not surprising, then, that film and TV fans — and those working in the huge, glittering industry — would want to buy a property in a celebrity hotspot. Move to one of these areas and you might be standing in the queue for a latte at your local cafe next to a hollywood giant, or star of the latest hit TV series.
Online entertainment giant Netflix revealed that it will be spending £ 400 million making more than 50 series and films in Britain this year and has signed a ten-year lease on Shepperton Studios in Surrey, where it will continue to produce popular programmes such as The Crown. The owners of Shepperton Studios plan to expand massively with a £500 million project that will generate 10,000 jobs during the next five years.
Nearby there are two, three and fourbedroom houses and one and twobedroom apartments at Old halliford Place in Shepperton by Shanly homes ( shanlyhomes. com) priced from £325,000 to £735,000. ‘Old halliford Place will appeal to a range of buyers, from downsizers to young families,’ says Jo McDonagh, sales director of Shanly homes Southern. ‘Shepperton is quintessentially english and is steeped in history, having been recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086. But don’t be fooled by its sleepy charm and scenic natural landscape — it has a thriving and popular high Street, and London is just under an hour away by train.
‘Furthermore, Shepperton Studios draws an impressive list of film stars, who you might get a glimpse of while strolling along the picturesque Church Square or riverside.’
Residents of Television Centre, the former home of the BBC in White City, West London, where a large part of the site was converted into homes, can still enjoy living adjacent to BBC Studioworks, which operates three studios that film programmes such as The Jonathan Ross Show, The Graham Norton Show, Later With Jools holland, This Morning, and Loose Women.
In the summer, shows such as This Morning often film on the forecourt outside, so residents have the feeling of being on ‘set’.
They also have access to VIP tickets for filming on site, and there’s always a buzz with people queuing for shows and red carpet events. Barking & Dagenham Council is pushing ahead with plans to build London’s largest film studios for 25 years, Made In Dagenham.
Sky is to spend up to £3 billion investing in a huge new film studios in elstree, hertfordshire, while Channel 4 recently began its relocation to Leeds.
‘Channel 4’s move to the city will help put the spotlight further on its creative and arts community,’ says Adam Warner, centre manager of Leeds Corn exchange.
‘It speaks volumes that they have chosen to join us here. We’re thrilled about the increased exposure Leeds is enjoying on TV. Channel 4’s move will be to a high- profile city centre location.’ JOhNNy
Caddick, director at property developer Caddick Group ( caddick. co. uk), which is building apartments to rent at New york Square by Moda Living in Leeds, says: ‘ For our residents working at the new studio complex opening off the back of Channel 4 relocating to Leeds, having a home just a stone’s throw away from where they work will be a massive timesaver.
‘ In the rental market especially, we’re seeing a huge push towards flexibility and convenience and being centrally located close to where jobs are provides both.’
Channel 4’s move echoes a larger one from 2011 when the BBC relocated to Salford in Greater Manchester. Jacob Smycz, 23, an estate agent lettings negotiator, decided to live there.
‘I’m walking distance to MediaCity, which is great during summer when you can stroll along the canal and be there in 15 minutes,’ he says. ‘ you’re close enough to central Manchester too without the same hustle and bustle, so you don’t feel isolated.
‘There’s always something going on in MediaCity, with events throughout the year, and the Christmas markets they put on now are great.
‘ There are also good restaurants and bars close by so the nightlife is less rowdy than in the city centre. Plus you never know which celebrity you might see when out and about.’