Plans in for 1.6m sq ft Sunderland film studio

Plans for one of Britain’s largest film studios have been submitted by FulwellCain, the global entertainment company co-owned by actor James Corden. The firm has teamed up with Sunderland City Council in an attempt to gain approval for the £450m film studio on the banks of the River Wear. FulwellCain wants to build a studio complex in Sunderland that will include 20 sound stages covering more than 1.6m sq ft. The application, which has been submitted to the local authority’s planning committee, sets out detailed plans for phase one of the studios, with two further phases also submitted for outline consent. The developer is also seeking financial backing from the government. In a submission to an inquiry by the Culture, Media and Sport Committee into British film and TV published last week, Amazon said the government needed to simplify planning laws to allow the construction of more studio space. The FT (£)