Major film and TV studio planned for Church Fenton

More than 100,000 sq ft of air hangar space will be transformed

A new film and television studio is to be built on a former RAF base in North Yorkshire.

Plans to transform a 100,000 sq ft air hangar at Church Fenton were unanimously approved by Selby District Council on Monday night.

Richard Knight, head of production at Screen Yorkshire, said it is hoped a big TV drama is attracted to the site.

Screen Yorkshire invests in television, film, computer game and digital content projects across the region.

"TV drama is a longer-running prospect than a Hollywood movie," Mr Knight said.

The airbase was established in the 1930s and is around half a mile from Church Fenton village, 16 miles (26 km) from Leeds and 10 miles (17km) from York.

The commercial airfield currently operating at the former RAF base as Leeds East Airport will remain

Recent Screen Yorkshire productions

•Peaky Blinders (BBC TV series)

•The Great Train Robbery (two-part drama, 2013)

•Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell (BBC One series, May 2015)

•Dad's Army (film, release date 2016)

•Testament of Youth (film, 2014)

Chris Makin of Makin Enterprises which owns the base said: "The support is tremendous, it'll be great to see people back on the camp in large numbers; 50-100 people on daily productions, plus visitors to the studio."

Selby District Council said the studio would be "a real game changer" for the region's growing TV and film industry.

"Existing studio supply in Yorkshire currently contains no spaces at all above 20,000 sq ft so production companies have to look elsewhere.

"If we can secure big, long running productions, it helps build Yorkshire's reputation as a serious base for production.

"One vital piece of the jigsaw missing, which prevents Yorkshire from becoming a truly major film production hub, is a proper film studio."

Lisa Holdsworth, who has written for Emmerdale and Midsomer Murders, said the news was "a bit of a dream" and it could "only be a matter of months before a big production lands."

Yorkshire's reputation as a base for major film and TV projects gathered momentum following the Yorkshire Content Fund in 2012.

The fund has invested more than £21m into Yorkshire's economy through location-based dramas.