Liverpool film studio deal finalised
Plans for Liverpool to have its own dedicated film studio have been consolidated with the official acquisition by Capital & Centric of the former Littlewoods Pools building.
Capital and Centric has agreed a 250-year lease with Liverpool city Council to turn the complex into a major production facility, potentially creating an estimated 350 jobs in the long term. This latest phase represents a £35m investment from the developers.
The iconic art deco building comprises 180,000 sq ft and the site encompasses an adjacent six-acre site on Edge Lane.
Tim Heatley, co-founder of Capital & Centric said of the plan: “Our vision for the site is to see it not just become the heart of Liverpool’s vibrant film and media industry, but a draw to companies in this sector both nationally and internationally. We aren’t looking for companies interested solely in co-location, but in collaboration, to be a part of a hub that can fully capitalise on Liverpool’s world-class offer as a filming location.”
Lynn Saunders, Liverpool Film Office Manager, said in comments to The Knowledge: “The digital campus and film studio on the Littlewoods site will provide a ‘sea change’ in development of the film and television sector in the Liverpool city region.
"It will provide the impetus for growth for established production companies operating in the region, further attract high value projects, boost the local economy, create jobs, improve skills and significantly enhance the city region’s image”.
Earlier this year, chair of the Combined Authority and Liverpool city mayor Joe Anderson said of the studio: “This will cement Liverpool’s place, along with the Baltic Quarter, in the creative industries. It’s an absolutely great boost for the city and the wider city region.”
The most-filmed location outside London, Liverpool has been enjoying a boom in production in recent years – its many grand civic buildings easily double for world locations including, in the case of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,1920s New York.
Photo via Capital & Centric.
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