Liverpool’s new purpose-built film and TV shoot space has officially been named The Depot, taking inspiration from the location’s history as a former bus site.
The naming coincides with the news that Morgan Sindall Construction, who are building the units on behalf of Liverpool City Council, has reached the first major milestone for The Depot, with the topping out of the two 20,000 square foot units. Situated adjacent to the famous Littlewoods Building, The Depot is seen as critical to Liverpool’s strategy to cement its reputation as one of Europe’s premier film and TV production hubs. The Depot is one of the major projects earmarked in Liverpool’s Recovery Plan to stimulate the city’s post-pandemic economy.
Liverpool is one of the major film destinations in the UK and, despite COVID-19, is experiencing the busiest period for film and TV production on record, in part accelerated by investment in several shows from the Liverpool City Region Production Fund. It is predicted The Depot will create a £24m economic boost for the regional economy, creating 360 new jobs and 760 indirect jobs.
The city is currently hosting illustrious productions such as ITV’s remake of The Ipcress File and BBC’s Peaky Blinders and The Responder starring Martin Freeman, as well as recently welcoming blockbusters such as Warner Bros’ The Batman, and Netflix’s high-end TV drama The Irregulars.
Councillor Wendy Simon, acting mayor of Liverpool, said: “I think The Depot is a perfect name for these studios – as it’s a place where ideas will come to life and will make the magic we enjoy on the screen happen. As a well as being a nod to the site’s history, The Depot is also a signpost to the city’s future – one built on a creative and knowledge-based workforce. The topping out of The Depot is an exciting moment in the journey to realising Liverpool’s ambition to be a 24/7 film city.”
Richard Potts, area director for Morgan Sindall Construction, said: “The topping out of The Depot is not just a key moment in the construction of this brilliant new shoot space but also a milestone in how our city can flourish in the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. Liverpool’s magnificent architecture means it has long attracted film and TV productions from all over the world. Now, with The Depot the city will be even more attractive to the creative industries, resulting in significant investment and the opportunity to create valuable jobs for local people. It’s a pleasure for our team to work on another development in the city that will help shape its future for many years to come.”
It is expected that the shooting space will be operational by Summer 2021. Liverpool Film Office invites enquiries for use of the space after Easter.
