Buckinghamshire welcomes news of national investment in creative industries

Buckinghamshire Council is welcoming the government’s announcement this week that it’s making £50 million available to support regional creative clusters as part of a national plan to grow the creative industries sector.

Buckinghamshire is a key location for the British film industry and is also home to a large number of other creative enterprises. It’s a key priority for the council to build on the opportunities this presents for the county as a whole, so it’s welcome that this ambition is directly in line with central government’s policy where the creative industries are concerned.

Buckinghamshire is home to the world-famous Pinewood Film studios, which have had plans for a significant expansion approved earlier this year. The council has also approved plans for a new eight-stage Wycombe Film Studios near High Wycombe.

The Pinewood expansion is set to create more than 8,000 new jobs and inject £460 million a year into the UK economy, while it’s anticipated the new Wycombe Film Studios will generate 750 direct jobs a further 450 indirect jobs plus £305 million for the local economy.

Buckinghamshire Council established its own film office in the last year to support priorities around growth in the creative industries and the county’s ambitions to significantly increase inward investment in the film and high-end TV sector. In collaboration with its partners and the film industry, the Film Office supports production companies to find locations, secure permits and offers production guidance and advice.

The focus on the flourishing local film industry is part of Buckinghamshire’s overall strategic vision for growth, overseen by the Buckinghamshire Growth Board, which is a key partnership of key public and private sector partners to bring forward a shared vision and objectives for growth in the county. The council’s work on economic growth also sees a focus on skills, with the council using some of the government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund to provide support in the county to help people get skills in line with local opportunities.

Martin Tett is Leader of Buckinghamshire Council and oversees the council’s growth and economic plans. He is also Chair of the Buckinghamshire Growth Board. He said:

“This week’s exciting announcement is firmly in line with our own ambitious plans to grow our local economy in Buckinghamshire and the important role the creative industries, and in particular, the film sector will play in that. We have an incredibly strong offer here in Buckinghamshire to attract more investment and to create jobs – and to offer a big contribution to the overall UK economy through our local film and other creative industries and I look forward to furthering these discussions with government in light of their announcement this week.”