UK Hollywood film studio near Reading gets full permission

A state-of-the-art film and TV studio complex has received full planning permission, with a Disney production confirmed to start next year.

Wokingham Borough Council approved Shinfield Studios' proposal in October but referred it to the Levelling Up Secretary of State, Michael Gove.

Mr Gove raised no objections to the hub at Thames Valley Science Park near Reading, and full consent was granted.

The film company said it would begin construction immediately.

The 85,000 sq m media hub will comprise 18 sound stages, four of which have already been built.

In a statement on its website, Shinfield Studios said the entire facility would be completed by the end of 2024.

The company, part of Blackhall Global Partners, said it expects the studio to generate around £600m a year for the UK economy.

Alongside the "world-leading" sound stages, it said the site will include workshops, a contemporary office environment and a post-production screening facility "designed to service the largest film and television productions".

Shinfield Studio's joint managing director, Nick Smith, said: "We are incredibly excited about the potential for Shinfield Studios, both as a significant contributor to the thriving UK film and TV industry and for its already proven ability to attract the world's foremost story tellers and producers.

"Completing the first four sound stages already has enabled us to get up and running quickly and deliver a state-of-the-art studio space to meet Disney's needs."

His counterpart, Ian Johnson, said the firm was "thrilled" to create a "world-class home for the film and TV community within Berkshire."

Adrian Wootton OBE, chief executive of the British Film Commission, described the hub as an important new development that would help draw production and investment to the UK.

He added: "The UK has never been more attractive as a film and high-end TV production base."