Pinewood Shepperton set to quit Teddington base

The facilities group said recent upgrades to its TV offerings at Pinewood would offset the loss of the south-west London facility, with the firm’s TV business set to be based entirely at its Pinewood site in Buckinghamshire.

Pinewood Shepperton chief executive Ivan Dunleavy said: “We have been investing heavily, particularly at Pinewood and Shepperton, because we own those sites.”

When asked if Pinewood would extend its Teddington lease beyond its December 2014 expiry date, Dunleavy said: “We will evaluate that with the landlord, but it is clear that our primary investment focus is on upgrading the Pinewood facility and studios we own in response to the growing demand for HD work and large
event production.”

Pinewood Shepperton acquired the assets, staff and lease of Teddington Studios in 2005 for £2.7m, but last year it announced it would be conducting a review of the lease.

The site and buildings are owned by the Haymarket Group.

“Ultimately, there will come a point when the demand for older studios like Teddington will fall away, and that is no different to what is happening elsewhere, at places such as BBC Television Centre,” said Dunleavy.

BBC Television Centre will be redeveloped next year, with BBC Studios and Post Production temporarily shifting part of its studios business from TVC to Elstree Studios.

“There is no doubt about Pinewood Shepperton’s commitment to the studio sector, and that is something we continue to work on,” added Dunleavy.

Facilities at Teddington include eight studios, the largest of which is just over 8,000 sq ft.

Recent projects to use the site include The Rob Brydon Show.