Latest news

A new TV studio at Thames Valley Science Park - July 2021

Shinfield Studios receives first planning approval at TVSP - March 2021

Shinfield Studios deal brings Hollywood to Reading - December 2020

New TV Studio Proposal - August 2020

Blackhall Film Studio Announcement - February 2020

A new TV studio at Thames Valley Science Park - July 2021

Plans for a new TV studio, part of the University of Reading's ambitious Cine Valley project in Shinfield, have been approved. Members of Wokingham Borough Council's Development Control Committee approved the application at their meeting in July.

The University will continue to engage with the local community before the opening of the studios, encouraging involvement from local businesses and residents. Construction is likely to begin late 2021, with a view to the studio being open by the end of 2022.

Darren Browne, Commercial Director of the University of Reading, said:

"We are thrilled that the proposals have been approved by Wokingham Borough Council, the culmination of a great deal of detailed work by our team and our partners. It represents a great opportunity to further build on the growing film and TV ecosystem evolving through our Cine Valley vision, which will deliver significant investment and new jobs over the next few years. We look forward to working closely with the wider community as the studio plans are delivered over the coming year."  

Professor John Gibbs, Head of the School of Arts and Communication Design at the University of Reading, said:

"The new TV studio will potentially create the opportunity for a range of work experience, placement and mentoring schemes for University of Reading students, and enable us to work with other local partners to develop opportunities for young people from a diverse range of backgrounds. These schemes could provide training and routes to careers in a variety of fields important to the growing creative media industry, which has been marked as of economic importance to the wider UK economy."

The TV studio application 

The proposed TV studio would provide around 1,200sqm of studio floorspace, plus a workshop/storage area, and office/production facilities including wardrobe rooms, make-up room, lighting and sound rooms, editing rooms, hospitality ‘green rooms’ and production office. 

It is anticipated that the TV studio will seat approximately 200 – 2330 audience members on an average show recording.  The building’s dimensions will be 19m high, 85m long and 33m wide, with the outside of the building clad in similar materials to that of the Gateway Building, tying its design into the overall look of surrounding buildings.  

Connecting to the studios 

The TVSP, located on the Eastern Relief Road and beside the M4, has a high level of pedestrian and cycle connectivity as well as an established and frequent bus service to Reading rail station and the University of Reading’s main campus at Whiteknights. Visitors and staff numbers when filming is not taking place would likely be lower than a traditional office building of the same size.  

Audience arrival and departure times are often organised to avoid peak traffic, with additional parking provided within the TVSP. Parking will be controlled and audience members will be encouraged to take public transport. 

Building our local talent 

The TV studio would create the opportunity for future partnerships with training and education providers, with schemes for young people such as  work experience, placements and mentoring. Local residents will also be encouraged to take part in TV shows, such as being part of the audience. 

This studio could create over £225 million of value over 30 years and 150 full time equivalent roles involved in the running of the studios (such as engineers, electricians, office staff), production (including camera operators, sound engineers, lighting specialists) and audience handling (catering, internal security staff).  

Shinfield Studios receives first planning approval at TVSP - March 2021

Proposals for a new four stage temporary film studio and associated workshops at the Thames Valley Science Park were approved by Wokingham Borough Councillors in a meeting on 24 March 2021. This first part of Shinfield Studios is backed by a major global film & TV company. Work will start almost immediately, ready for filming to begin in September 2021.

The approval is a major boost for delivering a new ‘Cine Valley’ to foster a new film and TV ecosystem. The studios and associated creative and digital hub will provide the opportunity for other businesses to locate to the area, providing new jobs, as well as for the University of Reading to support its long-term plans to benefit students, staff and the local community.

Shinfield Studios will be progressing a planning application for the remainder of the film studio site later in the Spring, in consultation with planning officers and local partners.

Samantha Foley, Chief Financial Officer of the University of Reading said: “We are delighted that these studios have been approved, and it will be great to see films emerging onto the international stage from right here on our doorstep.

“This is just the beginning, as the proposals by Shinfield Studios for the rest of their site at Thames Valley Science Park present an exciting opportunity for the University community and the growing creative industries in Reading, Wokingham and across the UK.”

Shinfield Studios deal brings Hollywood to Reading - December 2020

The University of Reading has entered into an agreement with affiliates of Commonwealth Real Estate LP, a film studios investor based in Los Angeles, for a long lease of land at the University’s Thames Valley Science Park campus, Berkshire, which will see the development of a major film studios and creative media campus.

Following consultation with the local community, the campus will be known as Shinfield Studios, and is expected to open, subject to planning approval, in late 2022. The studios will bring major Hollywood film productions to the UK, creating around 1,500 new jobs, and supporting up to 1,500 further indirect jobs.

The scheme represents a significant investment in the British film and creative industries and is expected to create £500m of annual inward investment to the UK.  The studios and associated creative and digital hub will provide new opportunities for people and businesses in the region, as well as for young people from a wide range of backgrounds, including students and graduates of the University of Reading, looking for opportunities in the growing creative and entertainment industries.

Professor Robert Van de Noort, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Reading, said:

“We are delighted that this agreement has been reached, which will bring welcome significant Hollywood investment, creativity and job opportunities to Reading, Wokingham and the wider Thames Valley. It is a credit to the hard work and determination of everyone involved to have concluded a transaction while negotiating through challenging restrictions on movement and travel. This lease presents a superb opportunity for the University and facilitates an exciting development for the wider community, and we look forward to Commonwealth bringing their vision to life.”

Nick Smith, Managing Director of Shinfield Studios, said:

“Britain has an enviable array of filmmaking talent, but the industry is short of high-quality studio facilities capable of catering for the new and emerging technologies that will form the core of television and film production in the future.

“This development costing over £200 million will create a new powerhouse of creative production and new talent, as well as generating up to 3,000 new jobs.

“Completing this exciting transaction is a big step forward and we look forward to ongoing consultation and engagement with all local stakeholders as this project advances.”

Adam Fisher, Commonwealth Founder and Chief Investment Officer (CIO), said:

“We are very excited about the prospect of investing in the UK creative industries as one of the most vibrant markets in the world. We look forward to building partnerships across Wokingham and Reading to make this project a resounding success. Our ambitions for the new studio will be of real benefit to the local economy and the UK as a whole.”

Minister for investment, Gerry Grimstone said:

“From film, advertising and TV to visual effects, design and publishing, the UK is home to world-leading creative industries and it’s fantastic to see our talent recognised globally. This new investment from the United States has the ambition to create 3,000 jobs and bring top class facilities to Wokingham and Reading - a huge boost to the local economy and win-win for the nation.

“A trade deal with the US can unlock even more exciting opportunities for our creative industries and further inward investment is vital as we build back better from Covid-19.”

Cllr John Halsall, Leader of Wokingham Borough Council, said:

“This is very welcome news for people in Wokingham and the wider region. Wokingham has a strong record of supporting world-class businesses, including existing links with the film industry. We look forward to providing everyone involved with the opportunity to put their plans and views forward as part of our usual rigorous planning process.”

New TV Studio Proposal - August 2020

The University of Reading is continuing to evolve its vision for the Thames Valley Science Park (TVSP) to encourage and encompass a wider range of specialist employment centred around key areas of expertise at the University, such as Film & Television. This comes alongside continued positive discussions with the owners of US-based Blackhall Studios progressing plans to bring a wide range of new film studios and supporting facilities to the site in
Shinfield.

The University of Reading is now progressing an application to create a new TV studio on the site, adjacent to the Gateway building. The studio, which aims to be operational early next year, will host a range of popular TV shows.

The studio will be integral in helping to attract other creative and digital businesses to the region. In driving this cluster of knowledge-based business, the University will look to enhance the experience for our students and graduates by providing them with practical opportunities to apply the skills learnt on their courses.

What is proposed? The new TV studio will be located on the Gateway Building 2 plot, adjacent to the existing Gateway Building 1 and Rutherford Centre. This site has a previous approval for development as part of TVSP.  The proposed building would provide 1,800 sqm of floorspace (as compared to 3,790 sqm approved under the Gateway Building 2 plan) and, as per the previous approved application, will be 11 metres in height. A site location plan and artists impression are shown below:  

The building will be clad in 100% recycled material which will be the same colour as the gateway building and can be reused again once its life on this site has ended. It should be noted that due to its unique nature, the building can be erected in a matter of days therefore it can be in used almost immediately after permission has been granted and the groundworks have been completed. This will be far less disruptive to the local area than a traditionally built structure.  The studio will incorporate a state-of-the-art gallery alongside new 4k HDR technology into the design, including the latest energy saving technology and low energy LED lighting. This will mean that the studio requires far less energy than a standard studio or office building. Fibre broadcast infrastructure and future 5G development as part of the wider TVSP site will also be incorporated into the facility post construction.   

Access to the studio area will provided from the internal road within the TVSP and have allocated parking spaces within the existing car park. There will however be provision made for bicycle, motorcycle and blue badge parking provided as part of this development. The proposed use will result in a lower level of vehicle movements and parking requirement when compared to a more conventional office or business park use. The new building will tie into the primary drainage infrastructure for this area of the site,  including foul and surface water.  

Timing The University of Reading will be looking to submit a Reserved Matters application in August to allow for the application to be determined in early autumn. Once permission is granted, the studio is likely to be up and running in January 2021. The studios will likely be in place for up to  10 years subject to planning permission. 

Fore more information email tvsp@reading.ac.uk or call 0800 148 8911.

Blackhall Film Studio Announcement
- February 2020

In February 2020, the University of Reading announced it is working with a major US film studio company to develop a purpose-built film studios complex as part of the Thames Valley Science Park.

This exciting news, building on the University of Reading’s reputation for excellence in creative arts, illustrates the broad appeal of the TVSP for a range of industries. More than 80 science and technology businesses already occupy the first phase, and alongside organisations such as the British Museum, which is relocating its important Archaeological Research Collection here too. 

With this broadening reach, the University of Reading is looking at options for the future of the park to nurture new opportunities for clusters of businesses in similar fields, such as Film & TV, Heritage and the Arts joiningthe Health & Life Sciences and Innovation & Technology businesses which already call the TVSP home. All of these areas are where the University of Reading has an excellent knowledge base and can therefore encourage and grow companies using skills and experience on the doorstep. 

Welcoming new industries to our home of innovation

By broadening the offer of the TVSP, it can attract new complimentary creative ecosystems for businesses that need specialist workplaces – something that the TVSP has embodied so well – so that it becomes a hub of innovation.