Pinewood Submit Revised Expansion Plans Application

Pinewood Shepperton, a leading provider of services to the global film and television industry, has announced it has submitted a planning application to South Bucks District Council for the expansion of Pinewood Studios, called the Pinewood Studios Development Framework (PSDF).

This follows extensive consultation with a wide range of local and national stakeholders, as well as with producers and developers of creative content.

The PSDF is a scheme of national importance designed to address increasing global demand for capacity in the UK and deliver growth for the next 15-20 years. It comprises a substantial expansion of the existing Pinewood Studios by adding a total of 100,000 sq m of new facilities, including studios and stages, workshops, production offices and streetscapes for filming. Once complete, this would make a major contribution to achieving Government priority objectives to grow the UK's creative industries, promote growth and create new jobs.

The proposals will enable the Company to capture increasing international demand for studio facilities and respond to rising competition from outside the UK. They will also cement Pinewood Studios' position as a world leading hub for the global creative industries.

The PSDF is a significant private sector infrastructure investment in the UK, consistent with Government policy, and will, according to Amion Consulting, have a positive impact on the economy by:

•providing £194m of private sector infrastructure investment

•supporting over 8,100 full time jobs

•creating some 3,100 net additional jobs

•producing an additional £149m in Gross Value Added (GVA)[i]

•providing an additional contribution to the Exchequer of £36m per annum

•generating an additional £37m per annum in UK exports

(CD)