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BBC News
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
How Hartlepool film production village is set to reshape the town
A new film production village will bolster the north-east of England's reputation as a centre for the screen industry, while boosting its economy and regenerating a town, it is village is planned for Hartlepool and aims to provide film makers with everything they need to make a movie or TV show without having to leave the to the Northern Studios, Hartlepool already has a foundation to build on and has been used to produce feature film Jackdaw, the BBC comedy Smoggie Queens and ITV North East Screen chief executive Alison Gwynn said expanding the studios and creating the village meant Hartlepool could "attract bigger productions with bigger budgets". "The production village gives us a real opportunity to be a bit more dynamic and future facing in terms of where the industry's is going," she said."One thing to think about is how that links up with digital and podcasts and music and the future development of content - not just linear TV." A consultation on the development plans for the village is under way and if approved will consist of two main first is the extension of the Northern Studios on Lynn Street, which is being funded by £15m from the Tees Valley Investment second is the production of the wider village across the Lynn Street and Whitby Street area, which has received £16.5m from the Levelling Up Borough Council leader Brenda Harrison said the campus area would span 300sq m (3,230sq ft) and be located near the Northern School of Art and the local college."There are 10 buildings going to be used and these are derelict buildings at the moment. So we're bringing them back to life," she said."It's to do with the whole regeneration of that area." Raising the roof Ms Gwynn said Northern Studios was the only dedicated studio space in the North East but since it was established the industry has changed."The growth in the sector in the region has been bigger and quicker than anybody could ever have imagined and actually the studios now need to be bigger," she they are only able to accommodate one production at a time but the expansion will allow space for a roof of the studio will also be raised to allow larger productions to use the Gwynn said the changes would ensure Hartlepool was not just a "one trick pony" but could cater to different types of productions, such as pilots and quiz shows with live said the region had previously missed out on some of these productions, including a quiz show being made with County Durham business woman and Dragons' Den star Sara Davies."She's currently making an ITV quiz show in Manchester," said Ms Gwynn."She would have loved to have made that show in the North East and have a North East audience in it but the studio right now just isn't big enough." Jobs and training About 130 jobs are expected to be created once the development is completed in council leader Harrison also believes the village's proximity to the town's colleges will have an impact on young people."It will be a great benefit to students, both while they're doing their courses and hopefully post-course when the jobs will be there for them," she said."By linking with the colleges the production village will benefit from their views and skills and be able to prepare them for the future."Many productions currently only use Hartlepool for the actual filming of their projects as the facilities for pre and post-production work are not currently film village aims to bring these facilities, such as costume designers and editing suites, to the area so crews do not need to leave. These will be located in the newly renovated Gwynn also believes the village will provide opportunities for businesses which may not have considered themselves able to work with the film said having a strong film sector would require a host of professionals such as caterers, accountants, graphic designers, joiners and painters."These businesses already exist in the region, they just hadn't thought a screen industry customer was on the radar for them," she said. Creating a cluster Hartlepool is not the only area in the North East attempting to boost its filming facilities. Sunderland is also set to become a major hub for the industry through the creation of the Crown Works Gwynn does not see the two sites becoming rivals, but believes they will complement each other."To have one studio base isn't enough to create a cluster and a cluster is the thing that's going to really create a long lasting industry in the region," she said."Hartlepool is going to be based on innovation, pilots, digital, music and mid-range drama. Crown Works Sunderland will be looking at multimillion-pound feature films and big, high-end dramas."She said there would be mid-range productions which would not be able to afford to operate in Sunderland but could work in believes Hartlepool will thrive as a supply chain hub for the industry but said its creation would benefit the whole region."What we'll see over the next couple of years is more and more production-based companies basing themselves not only in Hartlepool but also in Sunderland and then everywhere in between."The opportunity for growth in the sector is a whole North East-wide opportunity. It's absolutely not just Hartlepool or Sunderland." Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
14-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Film village could make Hartlepool hotbed for 'world-class' shows
A new village for the TV and film industry could turn a town into a "hotbed for world-class" productions, developers are in the works to create the film production village in Hartlepool, which designers have said would establish it as a "significant creative centre" in the north-east of development would see the expansion of The Northern Studios complex and the creation of a production village in the Lynn Street and Whitby Street East Screen chief executive Alison Gwynne said the two projects would boost the wider creative industries and "provide opportunities for local people who have previously had to leave the region to work in the industry". Hartlepool Borough Council is leading on the production village project and has received £16.5m from the Levelling Up Fund to support the leader Brenda Harrison said: "Creating jobs, driving investment in Hartlepool and delivering regeneration are all key aims of our council and this project delivers all three in an abundance." Boosting 'job prospects' The Northern Studios expansion is set to be funded by £15m from the Tees Valley Investment Zone, which has a total of £160m allocated to drive the creative and digital Studios is the only large-scale film and TV studio in the North East and helped produce feature film Jackdaw and BBC comedy Smoggie studios are based next to the Northern School of Art, which provides training courses for the creative Martin Raby said the projects would bring economic benefits to the town and "provide work experience opportunities for students and boost employment prospects for our graduates". More information about the projects can be found at two consultation events taking place this week. The first will be held on 15 April at The Northern Studios, while the second will take place the following day at the former H&M unit at Middleton Grange Shopping Centre. Both will be held from 12:00 to 19:00 BST. Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
UK Oil, Gas Permits Disputed in Court by Environmental Group
(Bloomberg) -- A conservation group is challenging Britain's government in a London court over 31 North Sea oil and gas exploration licenses that it says could put marine protected areas and climate stability at risk. They Built a Secret Apartment in a Mall. Now the Mall Is Dying. Why Did the Government Declare War on My Adorable Tiny Truck? Trump Slashed International Aid. Geneva Is Feeling the Impact. How SUVs Are Making Traffic Worse Paris Votes to Make 500 More Streets Car-Free Oceana UK, part of an international conservation organization, said licenses granted by the previous Conservative cabinet in May last year were unlawful as they don't account for the impact on marine life and the environment. The Labour government, which has since taken over, has shifted its attention to the North Sea's clean energy future. Still, while the cabinet is committed to not issuing new field exploration licenses, it doesn't plan to revoke existing ones. Oceana argued that an example from earlier this year should be followed, when a British court quashed approvals for two oil and gas projects known as Rosebank and Jackdaw, led by Equinor ASA and Shell Plc respectively. The ruling forced the fields to re-apply for environmental permits. The fate of those and other projects has big implications for the UK North Sea, an aging oil and gas region where major new developments are dwindling. Oceana said the licenses involved in the latest case are inside marine-protected areas, yet that potential oil spills were not considered in their impact assessments. It estimated there were more than two oil or chemical spills every day last year in UK waters. A spokesperson for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero declined to comment on ongoing legal proceedings. Units of TotalEnergies SE, Perenco SA and Neptune Energy are among the companies that received the licenses, according to Oceana. --With assistance from William Mathis. (Updates with a comment from DESNZ in penultimate paragraph.) Business Schools Are Back Google Is Searching for an Answer to ChatGPT The Richest Americans Kept the Economy Booming. What Happens When They Stop Spending? A New 'China Shock' Is Destroying Jobs Around the World How TD Became America's Most Convenient Bank for Money Launderers ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
North Sea oil is a test of Keir's growth goals
We are about to see the Prime Minister's commitment to growth 'above all else' put to the test. A decision is needed soon on whether to proceed with new offshore oil and gas projects in the North Sea, which environmentalists in the Labour Party are determined to block. The Rosebank and Jackdaw schemes, which together will produce close to 10 per cent of the country's energy needs, were rendered void by a Scottish court last week on technical grounds. It ruled that the consents given by the last government failed to take into account the emissions from burning the fossil fuels, not just those generated by their extraction. However, this did not invalidate the licences already granted and Labour in its manifesto pledged to honour those while stopping future schemes. The Prime Minister is believed to have assured Equinor, the Norwegian majority state-owned company behind Rosebank, that permission will be granted once the proper consents have been sought. But this has triggered a major row in the Labour Party, with backbenchers claiming that the court had effectively killed the projects on environmental grounds. Barry Gardiner, a former Labour energy spokesman, said: 'The PM and the Chancellor should remember they were elected by voters, not by Equinor.' The most powerful opponent is Ed Miliband, the Energy Secretary, who has called Rosebank 'a colossal waste of taxpayer money and climate vandalism'. He was asked in the Commons on Tuesday whether it would go ahead but ducked the question. 'We are going to follow due process,' he said. Yet the rationale behind blocking these projects is hard to fathom since the country will have to fill the gap with imports for decades to come, with a bigger impact on emissions than if the oil and gas were extracted domestically. Moreover, thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions in tax revenues would be transferred to producers of the liquefied natural gas we would have to buy. Net zero zealots on the Labour backbenches, arguing that Britain needs to set an example even if it involves national self-harm, need to justify that thinking – and the higher heating bills – to their constituents. If they and Mr Miliband remain opposed then the Prime Minister must face them down, otherwise his commitment to growth will be exposed as a sham. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
