THE PROSPECT of film stars coming to Shinfield is not the most exciting part of the studio plan for council leader John Halsall – he’s got his eye on the jobs the site will create.
He visited Shinfield Studios last week and said it would be a magnificent development that will bring several thousand roles to Wokingham borough.
When completed it will have 18 sound stages for making Hollywood blockbusters, shows for streaming giants such as Netflix and, it is hoped, homegrown companies such as the BBC.
The site is expected to create 1,500 direct jobs, plus 1,363 indirect roles, and be worth £46.4 million to the regional economy.
Cllr Halsall says that the project will have additional benefits: “It’s going to create a huge number of apprentices – everything associated with filmmaking including hairdressing, set design, lighting, film, camerawork, directing, producing and acting.
“But it’s the ancillary part of the studios which will be really beneficial to the borough.”
“It will create sustainable jobs for 25 to 50 years that will generate prosperity for the borough. It’s not just the trades, but people will need somewhere to stay and somewhere to eat. It’s thoroughly beneficial.”
Cllr Halsall praised the University of Reading for its vision for the area, which includes plans to bring some or all of the Royal Berkshire Hospital to the area, as well as the business school and the British Museum site.
“They have done a remarkable job, taking it from an idea that didn’t exist this time last year, these studios will be operating from the autumn.”
The sound stages will be 30,000sq ft and 50ft high, and acoustically perfect.
He said that the University will now be able to develop in a way that was “inconceivable” to several years ago.
“For Wokingham, particularly Earley and Woodley, you’re looking at prosperity for 25 to 50 years as a consequence,” he said.
“Any other authority in the country would bite their hands off to have even a part of that.”
