The Vinyl Factory has presented radical plans to the Hounslow Planning Committee (October 20 2022) to transform the former Gillette Factory building into a state-of-the-art film studio.
The site has been used for film production for around ten years, but it is not fulfilling its potential. The site is next door to the Sky Studios campus and marks the end of the Golden Mile.
The proposed development comprises the site’s partial refurbishment and partial redevelopment and uses it as a film studio with sound stages, workshops and ancillary offices. The overall floor space will be approximately the same as existing but will significantly increase the sound stage space from 61,750 sqft to around 149,952 sqft. This is in response to an acute shortage of high-quality, large-scale film production space, with an estimated need for 2.3 million sqft of new sound stage space across the UK by 2033 and within London and the South East.
The proposal falls within the Great West Corridor Opportunity Area, a focus for growth, in which the Mayor of London and the London Borough of Hounslow seek to deliver 14,000 new jobs. The area is a designated Creative Enterprise Zone where creative industries can thrive.
The presentation demonstrated a sustainable solution with significant emphasis on its green credentials, including:
- Heat Pumps for heating and cooling
- Pre-fabrication of all new stages and offices
- Intelligent user controls to minimise carbon impact
- Low-energy lighting and controls
- Responsibly sourced materials to minimise waste and water usage
- On-site solar energy generation
- Smart metering to monitor the carbon impact
The development is expected to bring significant economic benefits to the area and add glamour to the famous landmark.
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