Film studios given green light for expansion
JS AerialsA major film studio next to the M4 has secured planning permission to expand its operations onto neighbouring farmland.
Wokingham Borough Council has approved plans to use land south of Oldhouse Farm in Shinfield, near Reading, as an outdoor filming site for five years.
Known as Backlot 3, the land will provide extra space for outdoor filming and set-building for productions based at nearby Shinfield Studios.
Movies and television shows produced at the Berkshire site include Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, The Magic Faraway Tree, Last One Laughing and Squid Game.
The developers said the expansion would help the studio attract more major productions and support growth in the UK's film and television industry.
The planning application also highlighted links with the University of Reading, including work placements, training opportunities and graduate jobs in the industry.
Shinfield Parish Council backed the plans, saying it "fully supports this application".
The site is close to the Grade II-listed Oldhouse Farmhouse and Barn.
A heritage assessment found the development would cause limited harm to the setting of the listed buildings, with the impact described as being at the "low end" of the scale.
In its decision notice, Wokingham Borough Council said "significant weight" had been given to the economic benefits of the scheme before granting permission.
Conditions include that temporary structures must be no higher than 15m and the site must return to agricultural use when the five-year permission ends.
Other conditions cover noise, overnight working, lighting and flood risk, with measures required to protect wildlife including bats and badgers.
Shinfield Studios, near Junction 11 of the M4, opened fully in 2024 and boasts 18 sound stages, including two of the biggest in the country at 43,000 sq ft.
It is part of a boom in British film and TV production, much of it working to meet the demands of global streaming services.
