London’s largest film and TV production complex, Eastbrook Studios, nears completion
London’s largest film and television production centre, Eastbrook Studios in Dagenham, East London, nears completion with the developers Hackman Capital Partners announcing recently that it will be fully operational by 2023.
This £300m complex has led to the borough of Barking and Dagenham being affectionately labelled ‘London’s Hollywood’. This is a monumental leap forward for the British film industry and upon completion will be home to a total of 140,000sq ft of studio space (equivalent to the size of 20 football pitches), up to 12 sound stages and three acres of backlot, offices and ancillary space.
In 2019, Black Widow, the 2021 Marvel Studios blockbuster starring Scarlett Johansson, was partly made in Dagenham, with film bosses phoning the council to earmark studios for future production.
This exciting new opening will help to stimulate a transformative level of job opportunities and Barking and Dagenham residents will share in the benefits of this increased prosperity. Eastbrook Studios London will create an estimated 1,200 jobs, contributing £35m per year to the local economy.
With a whole host of new businesses, job prospects and high-speed transport links (including the newly-opened Elizabeth line), recent forecasts suggest the population of the borough is set to grow by 13% over the next decade, meaning housebuilders and developers in the area are seeing their properties snapped up quickly.
One such site seeing high demand is Fresh Wharf, Countryside’s new waterside development situated on the banks of the River Roding and just ten minutes’ walk from Barking town centre. In partnership with Notting Hill Genesis, Countryside is providing 911 new homes along with new shops, cafes and parks on an 11-acre brownfield site at Fresh Wharf.
Alternatively, for those seeking to put down roots in this up-and-coming borough, Countryside and L&Q’s Beam Park regeneration scheme exemplifies the regeneration taking place in Barking and Dagenham. A 3,000-home project on the site of the old Ford manufacturing site, Beam Park will also deliver new schools, parks, a nursery, shops and multiple community spaces, creating a brand-new community with green space on its doorstep.
