A new film studio in Dagenham East could add £35m to the economy, London mayor Sadiq Khan says
The mayor of London has said a new film studio in Dagenham East could generate £35m for the UK’s economy and create hundreds of new jobs.
Sadiq Khan and the leader of Barking and Dagenham council, Darren Rodwell, today announced plans to make Dagenham East a world-leading destination for blockbuster movie production.
Khan revealed a study today that outlined how Dagenham East would make a prime location for the capital’s first new TV and film production studio in at least 25 years.
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It found big-budget productions typically look for studios with at least 125,000 square footage of stages, which Dagenham East could accommodate.
A studio of this size could generate around 780 full-time local jobs and £35m for the economy.
And due to the city’s world-class skills, locations, crews and expertise, demand for studio space has never been higher, the report said.
In 2016, the value of feature film production spend in the UK was £1.6bn, an all-time record.
“London is a global capital for film – from Bond to Bridget Jones, and Star Wars to Paddington – our capital is world-renowned for its film industry and has at least 40 crews out on London’s streets filming every single day,” Khan said.
He continued:
But we mustn’t rest on our laurels. I want London to be the most film-friendly city in the world and today’s study demonstrates the huge demand for large- scale film studios in the UK.
I am determined to do more to support economic growth and create new jobs across London. A new film studio in Dagenham East will bring hundreds of new jobs to the area, benefiting everyone from carpenters to camera operators.
Rodwell called it a “landmark” day for Barking and Dagenham. “We were known for producting cars in the last century but today we aspire to produce blockbuster films,” he said.
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