LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION! VAST NEW FILM STUDIO PUTS THAMES VALLEY ON THE MAP

Oracle Group
Authored by Oracle Group
Posted: Tuesday, May 18, 2021 - 09:47
  • £200 million Shinfield Studios to deliver 3,000 new jobs in ‘Cine Valley’
  • 1m sq ft site will help ease UK’s 1.9m sq ft studio space shortfall
  • Local property market expected to enjoy “notable impact” from studio’s presence

Hollywood is set to arrive in Reading’s Thames Valley Science Park, with the 1m sq ft Shinfield Studios due to open later this year. The project will create around 3,000 new jobs and is costing in the region of £200 million to deliver. It is excellent news for Reading’s economy as well as its housing market, making it an exciting time for families to purchase properties such as the two-, three- and four-bedroom homes at Long Acre by Bellway Homes.

The UK is facing a 1.9m sq ft shortfall of film and studio space, according to Lambert Smith Hampton[1]. The new Shinfield Studios will be a temporary site, with permission to use the land granted until 2026, but a planning application is already being drawn up in the hopes of making the arrangement permanent.

Reading is well used to being a leading location on the tech scene, while Shinfield is a firm favourite with foodies, thanks to the presence of L’Ortolan – the only Michelin starred restaurant in Reading. Now, it’s time for the town to shine a spotlight on its film-making credentials as well.

Emma Jones, Sales and Marketing Director at Bellway Thames Valley, comments: “Shinfield Studios choosing Reading as its base is a major coup for the town. With the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime Video creating strong, sustained demand for UK productions, the studio will generate plenty of employment, as well as having a notable impact on Reading’s economy and property market. Buyers looking to take advantage of this would do well to buy sooner rather than later.”

Buyers looking for homes in Reading will find all they need at Long Acre. Just 10 minutes’ drive from the town centre, the collection of detached and semi-detached houses have been designed to suit families, first-time buyers and commuters alike. They include open plan kitchen and dining areas, elegant French doors to their rear gardens, tiled bathrooms with Roca sanitaryware and generously appointed bedrooms and family living spaces. Nearby Wokingham is also poised to benefit from the Hollywood effect, with properties such as those at Bellway Homes’ Queens Acre and Keephatch Gardens developments around a 20-minute drive from Reading.

Reading itself is a little over an hour’s drive from London. Long Acre is under two miles from the M4, as well as being a 15-minute drive from Reading train station, making access to the capital easy by both road and rail. The development also has high-quality amenities within walking distance, making it ideal for local life as well.

Homes at Long Acre are priced from £368,000 to £675,000. For further information, please visit www.bellway.co.uk or call 01252 982306.

[1] https://www.lsh.co.uk/explore/research-and-views/news/2018/oct/studio