Hertfordshire seeks Parliament Bill to make filming easier in county
Hertfordshire are to make it easier for British films like Tom Hooper’s The King’s Speech to shoot in the county
Hertfordshire council is seeking a Parliamentary Bill to simplify the permission process for filming on roads and using locations in the London satellite county.
Getting a road closure for filming or permission to shoot on location can be a complex and lengthy process due to manifold legal constraints.
But the council is seeking to promote an Act of Parliament to make filming in Hertfordshire easier for film and TV companies.
The Bill would enable the council to close roads temporarily for filming and to issue permissions to place filming equipment on the highway for short periods of time.
The county is home to two of Britain’s leading studios – Elstree and Leavesden – and has recently hosted Steven Spielberg for the shoot of his World War One drama War Horse, as well as Tom Hooper’s Oscar-winning The King’s Speech.
Cabinet Member for Resources & Economic Well-Being David Lloyd said: “Our county is already a popular choice for film and television production. Securing this Bill would make us one of only two counties outside of London who are able to give permission so swiftly and would give us a competitive advantage in this multi billion pound industry.
Chairman of the Board of Directors at Elstree Studios Morris Bright said: “Hertfordshire in general, and Elstree and Borehamwood in particular, are proud of our great production heritage. Films have been made in our area for almost 100 years. Times change and so does the demand for film and television production with more work than ever before being filmed on location.
“So we need and want to make it as easy as possible for production companies to come to Hertfordshire and make use of our excellent studio facilities as well as our location settings which are second to none. By making our area even more attractive to the media industry, it will provide a further and much needed boost to our local economies.
A consultation is open from the 16th July 2012 to the 31st August 2012 for anyone interested in commenting on the draft Bill.
Details can be found here: www.hertsdirect.org/consultations
