Stage Fifty submits planning application for Wycombe Film Studios

Plans for a permanent eight-stage film studio near High Wycombe have been submitted to Buckinghamshire County Council.

Stage Fifty, which in the past two years has opened studios in Winnersh and Farnborough, has submitted the application for a 26-acre site close to the M40. The new studio would bring around 1,200 jobs and an estimated £305 million economic output.

The designs feature tree screening and green walls with a specially designed, faded-grading cladding on the stage buildings in order to blend in better with the local environment and soften the view for the studio's neighbours in Claymoor Park.

Claymoor Park resident, Alan France, said: "The team at Stage Fifty have been really helpful and interested in being a good neighbour from the start of the project. They've taken our feedback on board and have tried to adjust their plan to meet our requests.

“This is a unique opportunity to bring a prestigious high-growth business and the jobs associated with it to land designated as a strategic employment area."

A decision on the studio is expected to be reached by January of 2023.

The studio could represent a significant economic boost to the local area. According to research by the British Film Institute, around 60 per cent of production budgets, which can top £50 million per production, is spent locally.

Read more - Plans for 8-stage 'boutique film studios' in Wycombe are revealed

Sustainability is a key focus of the development. Studio Fifty say the sound stages are almost fully recyclable, making them inherently environmentally friendly.

Attention has also been paid to the offices, café, amenity spaces and gatehouse, which have all been designed with their surroundings in mind. Clad in timber with green roofs, the low-level buildings sit within native wildlife-friendly planting and grasses.

Across the site, carbon has been designed out of the scheme to reduce the studio's carbon footprint, and solar photovoltaic panels will be used where possible.

James Enright, CEO of Stage Fifty, said: "We want to build a sustainable studio that the people of Wycombe are proud of, one that will create exciting new jobs for the community and generate around £305m GVA

"As soon as we have a decision from the council, everything can happen in a short timeframe as the design of our innovative sound stages means we can build quickly. Once the studio is fully operational, it will support around 750 full-time jobs and 450 indirect jobs in the supply chain.

“And we'll develop the skills of young local people by offering traineeships and industry placements at Wycombe Film Studios through Stage Fifty's Academy of Creative and Technical Arts (ACTA)

"Our goal is to build a studio that is not only sustainable in its construction but a place where people are excited to work in the heart of Buckinghamshire. Ultimately, we want Wycombe Film Studios to set the benchmark, attracting filmmakers from all over the world."

Read more - What will be the economic impact of the new Winnersh Film Studios?

Featured image credit: Stage Fifty