Fears raised over ‘rushed’ plans for Leith film studio
A LOBBYING group set up by film and TV freelancers has raised concerns over plans for a new film and TV studio for Scotland, which they claim are “very rushed”.
On Friday, Screen Scotland, the publicly-funded body tasked with boosting the country’s film industry, said it had identified a huge building in the Port of Leith as the site.
They launched a tender process inviting proposals from private developers to lease, refurbish and operate the permanent “world-class” production facility in Edinburgh, with a decision to be made on the tender by April.
But yesterday, the Association of Film and Television Practitioners Scotland (AFTPS) said it had questions over the project.
The AFTPS has previously complained a task force created by the Scottish Government in 2013 had not managed to get the long-awaited project up and running.
In a statement to the BBC, the AFTPS said it welcomed Friday’s announcement, but questioned the “very rushed” timescale.
It added the tender document “lacks significant detail regarding the physical requirements of the studio facility, yet demands a massively detailed financial and logistical proposal be prepared in an almost impossible timescale by potential bidders”.
A Screen Scotland spokeswoman said: “Increasing studio infrastructure is a key priority.
“In this instance we are looking for experienced operators to come forward with proposals by
February 1, 2019.”
But AFTPS also said it wanted to know how the former Pelamis factory in Port of Leith – which hosted Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War – was chosen and how Screen Scotland could guarantee public funding.
The Screen Scotland spokeswoman said: “Following strategic, economic, commercial, operational and financial evaluation, 31 Bath Road was identified as a suitable building which, following refurbishment, will provide long-term studio facilities.
“If public money is required by the winning tender, funds have been set aside from the Screen Scotland budget uplift provided by the
Scottish Government.”