Plans for a major Hollywood film studios to be built in Hertfordshire have moved a step closer.
Sunset Studios wants to create a world-class film and TV studios in Waltham Cross, near the M25.
When the £700m Broxbourne plans were originally announced last year, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said during a visit to Stevenage the proposed studios would soon be known as 'Broxywood' by locals.
The prospect of Hertfordshire adding another state-of-the-art production facility to its portfolio moved closer last week when Broxbourne Borough Council’s planning and regulatory committee granted outline planning permission for Sunset Waltham Cross Studios.
The decision is "superb" for Hertfordshire residents, say the county council.
The proposed new development, which will create more than 4,800 jobs, will be located on a 91-acre site close to Junction 25 of the M25 at Waltham Cross, about four miles from Cuffley.
It would be the first expansion of the Sunset Studios platform outside of the US.
Richard Roberts, leader of Hertfordshire County Council and chair of Hertfordshire Growth Board, said: “It is superb for Hertfordshire that this development has received outline planning permission, as it’s a clear sign that our county is moving closer to delivering this significant development for our residents, with more than 4,800 jobs expected to be created.
“We are strongly committed to providing high quality, local employment opportunities, which will be vital to delivering the sustainable and responsible growth we want for the people of Hertfordshire and, as such, this is an important development towards achieving those aspirations, with it expected to contribute more than £300m every year to the local economy.
“Hertfordshire already has a status as the home of the UK’s internationally-acclaimed creative media industry, with Sky Studios now at Elstree alongside the BBC, and Warner Bros at Leavesden, so the emergence of the Sunset Studios development will only strengthen that reputation and attractiveness to others looking to locate here."
In America, Sunset Studios has hosted some of the biggest small and big screen hits including When Harry Met Sally, Zoolander, and La La Land.
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