Preparations for a 'game changing' new film and TV studio close to Leeds city centre are edging ever closer.
Six new state-of-the-art studios will be created in the old Polestar Petty printworks on Whitehall Road in Holbeck in the coming months.
The ambitious development will more than double the amount of usable TV and film space in Leeds.
It's expected that the transformation of the historic building will be completed by 2020, which will coincide with the arrival of around 200 Channel 4 employees in Leeds as the national broadcaster moves its headquarters to the city centre.
In a bid to open the new studios as soon as possible, Leeds City Council has agreed a lease to enable the operator, Versa, to convert the premises into a venue fit for the modern age.
As part of the agreement, the council has also received approval to loan Versa £1.6 million to complete external acoustics work.
Councillor Judith Blake, leader of Leeds City Council, said: "It is fantastic news that we have made such progress over the last couple of months to now be in a position where we are able to hand over to national operator Versa to start bringing the physical side of the studio to life."
'It is likely we will also develop a multi-camera studio facility in the future'
Melanie Jones , managing director of All Studios - who will operate the new Leeds Studios - said: "We are very much looking forward to launching Leeds Studios in 2020.
"Having close contacts within all sectors of the TV and film industries, and in particular Sky and Channel 4 both having made significant investment in the city, our vision is the creation a very meaningful media cluster around what will be known as Leeds Studios.
"Leeds Studios will be specifically targeted at TV and film drama making but we will also encourage a cluster of supporting infrastructure including post production companies.
"It is likely we will also develop a multi-camera studio facility in the future to meet demand as it grows in Leeds for this type of space."
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