TV production crews have been given a glimpse of a new £14m expansion at Manchester drama hub, the Space Project.
On schedule to be operational at the end the year, it is hoped the development will cement the city’s position as worldwide production destination.
Since opening in 2014, five large stages on the site to the east of the city centre have been in huge demand.
This year will already see the return of successful ITV series Cold Feet, critically acclaimed BBC drama The A Word, and BBC flagship entertainment series Dragons’ Den.
Adrian Bleasdale, CEO of The Space Project said: “The first stage of the Space Project has seen repeat business from every UK major broadcaster.
“But as dramas grow in their ambition and scale, we wanted to deliver an affordable large-scale stage that will accommodate producers creative ambition with the realism of good budget management.
“We think the new stage 6 will deliver just that – scale, at an affordable price and the back up of a superb on site team dedicated to a great client experience.”
The TV and film production complex will double in size, creating a further 275 jobs and boosting the local economy by nearly £10 million.
Across the 6.8 hectare (17 acre) site, more than 90,000 sq ft of new buildings will be built for production and related support activities, including the purpose built 30,000 sq ft stage.
Also included on site will be an additional 6,000 sq ft. of production offices and green rooms, an additional 10,000 sq ft workshops for set construction.
The Space Project is a purpose built studios for large-scale film and TV production. Since opening in 2014 demand has meant a large-scale site expansion, including a new 30,000 sq ft production stage to open this year.
The Space Project is part of Manchester City Council’s creative digital asset base that has been created following the success of The Sharp Project.