Pinewood Scales Down Expansion Plans

Commenting on the scaling down of their site expansion plans in an interview with the Bucks Free Press, Pinewood’s Andrew Smith, the studio’s head of corporate affairs suggested concerns from the community regarding the size of the development project were behind the studio’s decision.   ‘We have listened to representations from the community,’ Smith said, ‘and we are now proposing to use about 32 percent of the land, instead of 100 percent. We've always had a good relationship with the community, and we want to maintain that.’

 The revised plans still included permanent outdoor sets of New York’s Tribeca district, Venice’s Canale, a Tudor village, Berlin, Paris Montmarte, San Francisco, New Orleans and Prague.

 Smith also revealed that the studio had been working closely with the National Film and Television School (NTFS) in Beaconsfield to establish a Screen Craft Academy.   It was foreseen that the academy would provide training for primarily local talent, taking in 120 students annually to be trained in such aspects of filmmaking as carpentry, painting, drapes and upholstery, costume and wardrobe, stunts, accounting, and prop making. [ADD]

Further Reading:

2008

Gt. Britain: 2008