Plans for a dedicated film and TV studio in Liverpool have been approved.
The city council’s planning committee signed off on the proposal for a 20,000 sq ft space situated in the shadow of the Littlewoods Building on Edge Lane.
Wednesday’s meeting also confirmed contractor Morgan Sindall have been appointed to build the facility, which is due for completion in spring 2021.
The new studios will be the first of their kind in Europe and received £17 million funding from the Liverpool City Region’s Combined Authority in July.
Talks are already taking place beween the council’s Film Office and major global production companies over the use of the stages from next year.
Various film and TV companies regularly use the city as a location to film scenes with Warner Bros being the most recent in shooting for ‘The Batman’.
Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson said: “I’m delighted we’ve got the green light to create these new sound stages and I can’t wait to see them welcoming their first productions.
“Being adjacent to the future Littlewoods Film Studios, the new sound studios will transform Liverpool’s ability to provide the TV and Film industry with a complete support package.
“Such is the interest in the city and in these new facilities we’re already getting calls about bookings before we’ve even built them!.
“These sound studios also means the city will have all the right ingredients to be a ‘Hollywood of the North’ for training, production content and talent in Liverpool – which will lead to more investment and more jobs.”
The approved planning has also been hailed by award-winning writer Jimmy McGovern, whose latest TV drama ‘Time’ is being shot in his home city.
“I love the fact that Liverpool council is looking to build these new TV and film studios,” said McGovern.
“Everyone knows how great the city is in hosting productions, but we can’t always complete a shoot here due to a limited studio capacity.
“These new studios will be a huge shot in the arm for the sector and especially for the hugely talented army of people who make the magic happen off screen, as they will save a lot of time wasted having to travel to other studios elsewhere.
“It’s also great news for young kids in our city and region wanting to get into the industry and in particular it’ll be a brilliant boost for the Kensington community which desperately needs this type of investment and the fantastic job opportunities it presents.”