Hertfordshire £700m film and TV studios plan approved

The site in Waltham Cross is at junction 25 of the M25 (for the A10), just north of Greater London

Permission has been granted to build a £700m film and TV studios facility just outside London.

Construction on Sunset Waltham Cross Studios is due to begin next year on a 91-acre site just off the M25 in Hertfordshire.

Sunset Studios in Los Angeles and an investment firm bought land for £120m last year.

Lewis Cocking, leader of Broxbourne Borough Council, said it was "a fantastic opportunity" for the area.

A meeting of the Conservative council's planning and regulatory committee granted the development outline planning permission.

Studio owner and operator Hudson Pacific, also based in Los Angeles, has joined with investment company Blackstone and they hoped to transform the site into a hub for UK and international productions.

The companies anticipated it would "contribute £300m annually to the local economy" and could create up to 4,500 jobs.

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Mr Bocking said the investment and potential employment was "welcome".

"We look forward to working with Blackstone and Hudson Pacific to help deliver significant positive change in Broxbourne," he added.

Preliminary site work was expected to start later this year with construction beginning in 2023 with the aim of opening the studio complex in 2025.

James Seppala, head of Blackstone Real Estate Europe, said the studio "will be a world-renowned hub for content creation and creativity that will help assert the UK's role as a premier destination for creating entertainment".