05/06/2015 - 100,000 square feet of aircraft hangar space to be repurposed for film and television use

Screen Yorkshire has entered into a deal with property investors Makin Enterprises, owners of the former Royal Air Force site in Church Fenton, to repurpose over 100,000 sq ft of aircraft hangar space for film and television use. The Yorkshire Studios is closely aligned with the Yorkshire Content Fund, which can invest in excess of £1million in feature film or television projects. The site is close to Leeds and York and two hours by rail from London. It comprises three aircraft hangars, office space, garages, workshops, extensive parking, roadways and runways. 

Screen Yorkshire has £15 million in funding from the European Regional Development Fund and these have been invested in projects like Testament of Youth [+see also:
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Sally Joynson, chief executive at Screen Yorkshire, said, “The Yorkshire Content Fund has enabled us to secure some incredible projects that have made great use of our existing portfolio of studio space. The lack of a larger-scale production facility however, has prevented a number of major long-term film and television productions from basing themselves here. These productions hold huge potential for sustaining the industry’s infrastructure and workforce, so it became clear that securing such a site should be a priority.’’ 

Adrian Wootton, chief executive of the British Film Commission and Film London, said, “It represents a real boost to the UK’s existing production infrastructure and will also be an added incentive for domestic and international productions to shoot in the area, and enable them to access the Yorkshire Content Fund.”