London’s ‘Ted Lasso’ Studio Goes Green with $28M Expansion (Exclusive)

West London Film Studios is expanding to incorporate another 85,000 square feet of land over the road, onto which an additional four stages are being built at the cost of around £23 million ($28 million). The U.K. facility, which was the base for all three seasons of Apple TV+’s Emmy-winning hit Ted Lasso, but has also welcomed films including The Father and Judy, is growing to meet the surge in demand for studio space that the U.K. has experienced since. The new studio space is set to open in June and already has a booking.

Owner Frank Khalid is installing a $3.7 million ($4.6 million) three-megawatt gas substation, which he says is the first to be used in a studio, so that the expansion generates its own electricity. While the substation may not utilise renewable fuel or green energy itself, it reduces the resources that would otherwise be needed to bring it to the facility. Khalid says the generator will become another source of income for him, with productions using the studio now being invoiced by West London Film Studios for their energy use.

The move at West London Film Studios follows a similar eco-focused drive in many other new-build facilities. Sky Studios Elstree began construction with a pledge to be the most sustainable production hub in the world, built to collect and treat rainwater, be powered by solar panels and have enough battery storage for 25 percent of its consumption, among various environmentally-focused abilities.

Khalid only opened West London Film Studios in 2014, the entrepreneur moving into the film production business somewhat unexpectedly having originally wanted to use the space as a wedding venue but changing his mind when the local council objected. But thanks to the surge in demand for studio space that the U.K. has experienced since, he says he’s now looking for more opportunities beyond the first expansion. However, he does warn that the U.K’s current record levels of inflation is scaring production away from the country and into Europe.

https://www.globalvillagespace.com/GVS-Entertainment/londons-ted-lasso-studio-goes-green-with-28m-expansion-exclusive/

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