Film crews pump £2m into Cheshire East’s economy

 

A dramatic increase in the number of television productions being filmed in Cheshire East has produced a £2m bonus for the local economy.

In 2014, crews have done more than 130 days’ work in the borough and have spent an estimated £1.99m. 

This compares with 65 days’ filming in 2013, which generated estimated spending of £1.04m.

The figures are calculated by Cheshire East Council’s film and TV partner Creative England, which provides free support to productions filming in the English regions.

Creative England calculates estimated spending by using benchmark figures for each type of production, which are worked out from actual spending on productions filmed in the region.

Councillor Michael Jones, Leader of Cheshire East Council, said: “Film crews spend money on accommodation and services, which is a direct benefit to local businesses and the residents who work for them.

“That is why I am so pleased to see that Cheshire East has been so successful in attracting film producers to the borough. To double the number of days’ filming in the space of a year is a fantastic achievement.”

The total financial boost from filming this year is likely to top the £2m mark because ITV Studios and GroupM Entertainment are in Alderley Edge this week to film scenes for The Trials of Jimmy Rose, a crime drama starring Ray Winstone and Amanda Redman.

Earlier this year, ITV cameras were in Bunbury to film Home Fires, a six-part second world war drama starring Francesca Annis and Samantha Bond.

The Real Housewives of Cheshire, an ITV reality show about the lives of glamorous women living around Alderley Edge and Wilmslow, will be shown in the new year on Freeview channel ITVBe.

And this autumn viewers in the UK and US saw historic Arley Hall, near Knutsford, playing a major role in Evermoor, a mystery adventure for the Disney Channel about an American teenager who leaves the States behind for a new life in England.

Creative England’s production services team provides full support to film and TV projects of all sizes by securing permissions, assisting with location scouting and sourcing regional crew and facilities when shooting in England.

By working with local authorities, such as Cheshire East, and with Film Friendly Partnership networks, the team help develops and sustains a positive and robust filming infrastructure for productions when filming in the regions.

Creative England’s online locations and crew database is free to join and boasts an extensive library of national locations, crew, facilities and studios.