Plans to build tens of thousands of square feet of studio space in Glasgow are gathering pace, with Creative Scotland ring-fencing £1m for the development in the Govan district of the city.
The specifications are yet to be finalised, but could include the redevelopment of industrial buildings adjacent to the Film City Glasgow building, creating 15,000 sq ft of space.
A more ambitious aspect of the plan would involve the construction of two 20,000 sq ft studios on land between Film City and the BBC’s site at Pacific Quay, at a cost of approximately £10m.
Film City, which was set up with the help of public funding, is leading the project and is now working on a business plan for submission to the Scottish government and Scottish Enterprise, which owns the land.
Film City director Tiernan Kelly said the aim was to provide affordable TV and film production space.
“We’ve shown the amount of studio space we’re proposing would be used, according to 2011 figures [for film and TV productions in Glasgow],” he said.
“The business plan will take six to eight weeks to draw up. We’re looking at a mixed public and private funding model. By the end of this summer, we should know one way or the other.”
Kelly said Film City, which is based in the old Govan Town Hall, demonstrates the area’s appetite for production facilities and shows the scheme could be a success.
As well as being home to post firms Serious and Savalas, and production companies such as Keo, Finestripe and Hopscotch, the building has been used as production space for a raft of films, with CBBC’s School Of Silence, Channel 4’s Iron Chef UK and T4’s Transmission also shooting there.
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