Lights, cameras, action – new film and television studios are to be built in Doncaster.
Doncaster is set for star roles on film and television after plans were announced for new studios to be built in the town.
Hundreds of jobs are expected to be created by the £45m development on the site of the former High Melton campus of Doncaster College.
The site will be sold to 360 Degrees Media who want to create the studio, a special effects academy and a hotel and events business. The business is managed and operated by media financiers Alistair Maclean-Clark and Mark Beilby, both of whom have more than 30 years’ experience in the sector.
Chief executive Alistair Maclean-Clark said: ‘Ever since we first visited South Yorkshire we knew there was potential for a game-changing project here. We want to pioneer a European first for media that brings together training, production, post-production and innovative tech on one site, offering film and television makers an end-to-end service and a creative ecosystem that will reinforce and help to build all the existing creative industries in South Yorkshire.’
Doncaster is no stranger to the lights, cameras and action of film and television productions. Probably the most famous show to be made in the town was Open All Hours and the corner shop in Balby has reprised its role since 2013 for the updated version of the comedy. Rather more gritty were This is England and the crime thriller Red Riding. The town’s most notable appearance on the big screen came in the 1996 hit film Brassed Off.
The Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones welcomed the proposal to transform the former college site. She said: ‘It is fantastic news for Doncaster that the college’s High Melton site is set to become the new home to this international film and TV studio. We have been happy to support the college in bringing this to Doncaster. This will create jobs and growth for Doncaster’s economy and encourage more young people to pursue a career in the film and TV industry.
‘During 2017, £1.6 billion was spent on UK film and TV projects. This shows this is a thriving industry which we are excited to welcome to the town. We are ambitious for Doncaster and fully support the creation of this new site that will create more than 220 jobs for the borough.’
The Sheffield City Region Combined Authority has agreed a £4.1m grant for the project and the SCR Mayor Dan Jarvis said: ‘A creative investment on this scale is fantastic news for Doncaster and the wider region, and will add to the Sheffield City Region’s already-outstanding creative assets.
‘As well as jobs at the 360 Degrees Media studios, the scheme can also create countless opportunities in the supply chain, drive economic growth and provide real-world training opportunities for our young people.
‘But the benefits go both ways. Our region is a hotbed of creativity and is already driving forward excellence in the digital sector. So where better to base a new film and television studio that can tap into the talent we already have here, build upon it, and create a genuinely exciting and innovative scheme to put Doncaster on the digital map.
