New U.K. Film and TV Studio Proposed for Leeds, in Northern England

With studio space in high demand, a sizable new film and TV complex has been proposed for Leeds, the city in northern England that is fast becoming a major U.K. media hub outside of London. It has already been selected as the base for Channel 4’s new national headquarters, and companies such as pay-TV giant Sky and sports streamer Dazn have operations there.

A site at an old printworks, 15 minutes from Channel 4’s new base, has been identified as the spot for the new Leeds studio, which will have up to six stages.

The proposals involve the local council taking a lease on the site. It would then sublet the space to a third-party studio operator, Versa Studios, which in turn would team with local player Prime Studios to manage the complex.

Series including “The ABC Murders” were filmed in Leeds, and “Victoria” and the upcoming “All Creatures Great and Small,” have Yorkshire bases. In film, the likes of “Peterloo,” “God’s Own Country,” and “Phantom Thread” shot there.

The Leeds plans need approval by the local authorities, with a meeting set for July 23.

“This studio has been the missing piece of the jigsaw in Yorkshire,” Sally Joynson, head of Screen Yorkshire, told Variety. “There is a proportion of the work out there that we should be attracting but have not been able to. We need to have a better offering for producers outside London and the opening of the Leeds studio is part of that.”

Ben Hepworth, managing director at Prime Studios, added: “The large-scale city center studio development is vital to the continued growth of the local industry and means that, for the first time, Leeds will have a world-class studio offer that will firmly establish the city as a leading center for international production.”

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