New buildings up to six storeys high planned to modernise facility
A visualisation from the developer of the new Ealing Studio buildings
|
November 24, 2022
The Ealing borough planning committee has given its approval for the redevelopment of the oldest film studio in the world.
For more than 100 years, Ealing Studios has played a huge role in creating the most iconic British television – including Doctor Who, Downton Abbey and The Crown.
Under new plans submitted to Ealing Council and unanimously approved by councillors on Wednesday (23 November), three blocks which currently house production space, music studios and storage are set to be demolished. These facilities are described as small and outdated with plans to rejuvenate the studios set to “transform the oldest continuously filming studio in the world to the most advanced studio in the world”.
Demolished blocks will be replaced by a £20m development which will see four new buildings built, ranging in height from four to six storeys. There will be studio space for film, television, and entertainment production, plus offices and workshops.
There will be a new hub to house reception, security, and meeting space for production staff, actors and extras during filming. Sound insulation will be improved to meet modern standards to reduce filming impact on the rest of the studio site and nearby neighbours.
Ealing Studios as they are currently
These new plans come as demand for modern studios reaches a new height with Amazon, Netflix and Disney signing lucrative contracts with other UK studios.
Documents submitted with the application state, “To compete in this market Ealing Studios need to offer modern studio space and facilities. The demand for new space is for larger sound stage recording facilities, modern workshops and office space.
“Ealing Studios has outdated facilities that are not competitive in the current environment and so plans have been brought forward to partially redevelop the buildings and create facilities which preserve the status and drive the competitive edge to compete and ensure the studios long term survival.
“The current facilities at Ealing Studios are smaller than other studios, with outdated workshops, props stores and offices. To keep these studios operational and desirable for the growing and changing creative industry, plans have been brought forward to modernise some of the existing spaces and preserve the studios’ position as a creative pioneer.”
The developers claim this new scheme will take just 18 months to build. Most of the construction will take place off-site, and then brought to Ealing Studio to reduce the impact on nearby neighbours.
Ealing Studios first opened in 1902 and are the oldest surviving film studios in the country. Although parts of the site have been replaced with modern technology, some of the sound stages date back to 1929. The White House, which is the iconic entrance of the studios, plus the older sound stage buildings, will not be included in the makeover and will retain their historical importance.
In the 1950s, the BBC bought the studio site and it became the home of many iconic TV hits including Porridge, Monty Python, and Doctor Who. Despite the BBC selling the studio in 2000, the site remains the home of the best of British entertainment – including films like The Theory of Everything, The Darkest Hour and Bridget Jones.
The map below illustrates (in red) a number of blocks and the areas to be demolished and redeveloped.
Full details of the plans can be found here.
Written with contributions from Megan Stanley - Local Democracy Reporter
Like Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism. Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets. We’ve always done that and won’t be changing, in fact we’d like to do more. However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do. We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area. A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site. One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute. If you do support us in this way we’d be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor. For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least one article a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you’d like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site. |
