MAJOR FILM STUDIO DEVELOPMENT FOR WALES

PLANS HAVE been unveiled to build a large ultra-modern movie studio complex in Wales as part of a 350 acre development that's set to include movie based leisure attractions and an international film academy.
This major development will happen on an 840 acre site, which was originally part of an open cast site adjacent to the M4 between Cardiff and Bridgend, for which planning consent has already been sought. Part of the site has already been included in the Local Plan by Rhondda Cynon Taff County Borough Council for employment purposes.
The full development envisages the inclusion of business parks, prestigious headquarters buildings and a hotel/conference centre, and it has been proposed that it should be linked directly to the M4 by a new interchange.
The development will be a major new strategic employment focus for South Wales and the Valleys. The studio and leisure complex alone is expected to create well over 2000 full-time jobs, with many more surrounding the development as a whole.
The studios, to be called Dragon International Studios, will be designed as an integrated facility, to incorporate the most advanced equipment and services, able to support full-length feature films, television production and commercials, and including full editing and post-production facilities. The aim is to capture a share of the global market in film and television production, as well as supporting a wide range of small and medium sized productions.
The studio leisure park, based on successful US models, is expected to attract up to 1.2 million visitors a year. Sharing the skills used in the production of studio movies, the park will offer visitors the chance to tour the sets of famous films, enjoy simulator experiences and sample a wide range of themed activities.
Brian Willott, speaking for the project, said: “For the film industry, the new studios will be highly competitive in both quality and cost. Our aim is to create an international centre of excellence of sufficient critical mass to provide a real focus for creative media talent in Wales. For the community in South Wales, we will create a larger number of jobs building and running the project, as well as helping to bring many more jobs into being with local firms. Each major film production generates many millions of pounds in the local economy. The studio leisure attractions will provide another substantial tourist venue to attract visitors in Wales.” (GB)