1 year ago
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ARTICLE AD BOX
Image source, Lucasfilm
A set for The Empire Strikes Back was constructed at Elstree Studios
By Louise Parry & Will Durrant
BBC News, Hertfordshire & Local Democracy Reporting Service
Crumbling studios where Star Wars and The Crown were filmed need at least £150m to secure their future, according to a council report.
Hertsmere Borough Council, which owns Elstree Studios, said the roofs of some stages are "dangerous".
It said the money is needed to replace "life-expired buildings", where asbestos has also been discovered.
But it also claimed that the council "cannot afford to continually invest" in the Borehamwood film complex.
Image source, Elstree Studios
Image caption,Elstree Studios in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, is more than 100 years old
Many iconic movies have been filmed at Elstree Studios since it was built in the early 1900s, from Alfred Hitchcock's 'Blackmail' to Steven Spielberg's 'Indiana Jones' trilogy.
In the 1970s, George Lucas directed scenes from the original Star Wars films at Elstree.
Image source, Shutterstock
Image caption,George Lucas brought the Star Wars universe to Elstree in 1976
But its creaking infrastructure is "at least 100 years old and past its useful life," according to the report.
It says the walls are not expected to last more than 10-15 years.
And while asbestos remediation was taking place, their contractor discovered the roof over stages 7, 8 and 9 "were in a dangerous state".
The report questioned the "feasibility of proceeding with this project" and asked whether it would be better "to demolish the stages altogether".
Image source, Shutterstock
Image caption,More recently, Netflix series The Crown was filmed at Elstree Studios
Hertsmere Borough Council bought the studios from property firm Brent Walker in 1996 when it was in a "very dilapidated state".
It has spent £22m on the building and works, but the site has generated £28m for the public purse and has a market value between £40m and £100m.
The report says that "both Elstree Studios and the Council do not hold the necessary funds to finance further work streams."
The new Labour and Liberal Democrat leaders in Hertsmere, who took over from the Conservatives at the May elections, are proposing paying £90,000 in consultancy fees to map out a "way forward".
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