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Ashford Studios' Push for Council Approval on €90 Million Extension Plans
31 Jan 2018 : Nathan Griffin
Ashford Studios have lodged an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to the Wicklow County Council in an effort to address concerns held against the studios proposed €90 million expansion plans.

The proposal, which will include the creation of four new film studios in Wicklow, was put on hold by the Council due to concerns raised by members of the local community.

In this statement, ‘Phase Two’ of Ashford Studios' plans are said to be necessary to prevent a drop in revenues for the film studio.

The €90 million expansion is expected to create up to 1,500 film and television sector jobs, with plans set to include the construction of four new 40,000sq ft. film studios. The plans also include a television studio, studio offices, a visitor centre and an expanded car park intended to include over 600 car and 100 bus spaces.  

However, the Wicklow County Council put the plans for the studios extension on hold after concerns over the project were expressed by members of the Council and local community. The Council raised concerns back in July that the expansion could ‘significantly detract’ from the landscape and set ‘an undesirable precedent for similar forms of highly inappropriate development’.

Promoters of €90 million project have outlined the importance of the second phase of expansion, stating in the EIS report that ‘phase one’ of the studio, which saw Ashford open its doors to History’s ‘Vikings’ back in 2012, was no longer sustainable to host other projects alongside the large-scale drama series. ‘Vikings’, which is currently filming its sixth season, occupies the entire Ashford Studio space for eight months of the year – leaving the studio with ‘Valley Periods’ of little to no production taking place in the subsequent four months due to time restraints on production turnarounds.

Outlining the need for the expansion, Ashford’s EIS Document states:

"(Phase One) is not a sustainable rhythm and activities can't be rolled out in this manner,(Phase Two) Allows for constant roll-out of the studios and prevents a drop in revenues of the management company and a drop in activities in the nearby town of Ashford".

Furthermore, the EIS report argues that a decision against the proposed expansion would see Ashford Studios’ progress and development as a attractive film location internationally, stagnate:   

"The second phase allows for continual production of film making without valley periods. The need for film studios in Ireland is increasing... The lack of production turnover in the studio has demonstrated the need to expand the current facilities".

A decision on the proposed plan, which is being challenged by two locals, will be made in March.





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