Sky Studios Elstree gets go-ahead for construction to begin

Hertsmere Borough Council has given the green light for construction to begin on Sky Studios Elstree, due to open in 2022. 

The development is a joint project between Sky, NBCUniversal and financiers/developers Legal & General; it is estimated that it will provide more than 2000 jobs and £3bn of production spend in the first five years. 

Work to clear the site – which covers the equivalent of 22 football pitches – will begin this month. It will comprise 12 sound stages, with flexibility to scale them up or down by merging or sub-dividing them simultaneously. 

The construction phase of the build will reportedly contribute £230 million to UK GDP in the period 2020 – 2021, with 900 jobs created during the construction phase and 1,500 once the studio is operational. 

The new facility is one of several currently under construction or in development around the UK as demand grows for studio space. Others in the pipeline include major new sites at Ashford, Dagenham and Liverpool, with OMA Studios in Enfield opening this summer. 

Header picture L-R: Nigel Wilson (CEO, Legal & General), Helen Parker (EVP of Universal Pictures Content Group, NBCUniversal), Caroline Cooper (CFO, Sky Studios) and Cllr. Morris Bright MBE (Leader of Hertsmere Borough Council).