At a meeting of the Planning and Regulatory Committee on 18 July, outline planning permission was granted for the construction of a world-class studio for film, television and digital production.
Land to the west of Waltham Cross was purchased in August 2021 by funds managed by Blackstone and Hudson Pacific Properties for the partners’ first expansion of their Sunset Studios platform outside of the United States.
The 91 acre site, close to M25 junction 25, is allocated in the Borough’s approved Local Plan 2018 – 2033 as a strategic employment site. This development will be a significant investment to the area and anticipates creating over 4,800 jobs and many more during its construction. It is expected to contribute more than £300million to the local economy annually.
Set to become one of the ‘greenest’ studios in the UK, Sunset Waltham Cross Studios will target LEED Gold certification and a BREEAM Excellent rating which would put the development in the top 10% of buildings in the UK in terms of its sustainability performance, with energy efficiency and biodiversity central to its design and development. Moreover, once operational, extensive sustainability initiatives will lower the carbon impact of every production filmed at the studio.
Councillor Lewis Cocking, Leader of Broxbourne Borough Council, said:
This represents a fantastic opportunity for the people of our Borough. The creation of over thousands of new jobs and the associated boost to the local economy is welcome and we look forward to working with Blackstone and Hudson Pacific to help deliver significant positive change in Broxbourne.
Economic growth is one of the Council’s corporate priorities which is underpinned by its recently approved Economic Development Strategy.