DB7

Aled Blake, The Western Mail


A MOVIE studio which could bring the film industry and thousands of jobs to Wales has been given the green light by planning officials, it emerged last night.

Dragon Studios, of which Lord Richard Attenborough is chairman, says the £330m development will create more that 1,700 jobs.

Work on the first phase of the so-called "Valleywood" project, including five silent stages, an outdoor street set and film production facilities, will begin in September.

Developers hope building of the first stage at Llanilid, near Llantrisant, will be completed in the early months of next year. The company plans to apply for permission for the next stage in the building, a studio village and sound stages, in the next few weeks.

Chief executive Stuart Villard said, "We welcome the positive decision of the council and we look forward to being on site in September and opening the first phase in early 2005."

Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council gave planning permission for the development which also includes plans for a hotel, conference centre and private hospital.

Outline planning consent was given to the project in January, which also includes plans for a theme park and film and television studio complex on a 317-acre site.

The project has been offered around £7m in regional selective assistance from the Welsh Assembly Government.

Steve Crook

When the Royal Mint moved to Llantrisant, people (especially bankers in London) were able to call it "The hole with the mint in it"!

Steve

Steve Crook

PaPAS

alan gowdy

Good luck to them. A very brave venture that deserves to succeed.

"Don't forget... one of petrol, two of meths"

Hackett

The first film to go into prodution at Dragon Studios is the story of a young Welsh inexperienced gentleman's personal servant. It's to be entitled "HOW GREEN WAS MY VALET"

Jackass

I know this is an old thread but has anyone heard or know anything more about the building of Valleywood Studios in Wales ?

Many thanks

DB7

When the architects arrived the laborers retired to a pub and sat round a table speaking Welsh:. I doubt it will ever get off the ground, seems to have been a lot of hot air with no finance in place.

Jackass

Cheers for the reply !

Douglas

morganian666

I just wanted to give an update on this project, I live not far from the Dragon Studios Site and can confirm that building is going on nicely they have made good progress on the site and it should be great when its finished!

I'll pop over there and take some photos to show how things are going this week.

julian_craster

Sounds like a 'jobs for the boyos' scheme to me - but I wish them luck !


I only hope Lord Dickie is not investing his own cash....

Azanti

Whoever the jobs are for, it can only be a good thing. Fingers crossed.

DB7

Valleywood studio is £15m in red
Dragon Studios
The studios are being built on a former opencast site
The troubled Valleywood film studios owes £15m to creditors and may have to sell off land, it has emerged.

But administrator Rob Lewis, who was appointed last Friday, said he is confident construction at the studios near Bridgend, will be completed.

A sound stage at the studios, dubbed Valleywood, is due to be completed next month.

Dragon International Studios and Westair Properties Ltd, both of which are in administration, own the site.

Speaking on BBC Wales Dragon's Eye, Mr Lewis, who was appointed by the court, said there are 20 creditors who are owed around £15m.

He said: "Clearly there have been delays in getting the project off the ground.

"One of the reasons that the company is in administration is that the income that the site was proposing to generate has not come through as quickly as expected.

"If all goes according to plan - and I have no reason to doubt this - the first of those studios will be available for occupation by the end of April."

Interest shown

He added: "There are 60,000 square feet of very high quality film studios that are nearly complete, there are certainly people showing an interest in terms of taking occupation of them."

He said he will adopt a flexible approach and will look at all the options - such as the selling-off of land which had been envisaged previously - before meeting creditors.

Earlier this week Llanharan Councillor Geraint Hopkins said he was "disappointed" by the news that the studios had been placed into administration.

He said: "Quite a lot of work has already been done, a number of the silent stages have been built and it's a shame now if the project is in jeopardy because of some difficulties.

"But I do remain positive for the site," Mr Hopkins added. "I would still like to hope the project can be saved."