MAJOR plans for more film studio space in Shinfield have been approved by the borough council.
On Wednesday, October 13, the planning committee gave Shinfield Studios permission to expand at Cine Valley, at the Thames Valley Science Park off Cutbush Lane.
The scheme involves building 18 more sound stages and seven workshops for film and television, five offices, and a central hub building which will provide facilities for future employees.
The majority of work will take place in the sound stages, which are large soundproof warehouses where a film set can be constructed, and scenes filmed.
These will be supported by workshops where costumes and props are made.
At the meeting last week, the main concern from councillors were traffic to and from the studio site.
Cllr Carl Doran, Independent councillor for Bulmershe and Whitegates, said: “I want to make the point that local people certainly feel the weight of traffic around this location is already high, and it is a bit hidden by the events of the last 18 months, but my concern is for future development on top of this which is certainly possible.
“I think we’re already at the limit for traffic there and we need to think more constructively about how that’s managed.”
Cllr Andrew Mickleburgh, Liberal Democrat councillor for Hawkedon, asked that a construction phase travel plan be drawn up to keep lorries off Lower Earley Way and on the M4 instead.
Planning officer Christopher Howard said that Lower Earley Way is a “strategic route which is capable of handling HGVs.”
The Creative Media Hub will have 1,375 parking spaces, with 79 reserved for disabled blue badge holders, 154 electric vehicle charging points, 77 of which will be active, 64 motorbike spaces, and 160 cycle spaces.
Parking will be divided between surface parking and a multi-storey car park.
The creative media hub was unanimously approved by the council’s planning committee, which also chose to refer it to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.
Although planning officer Mr Howard said the referral could delay work on the project by three to six weeks, he argued that it “would be best from a challenge point of view to refer it and go down that process.”
Earlier this year, the committee approved plans for a permanent television studio from the University of Reading, and permission for temporary film studio from Shinfield Studios, which is currently in construction.
