Rolls Royce factory and film studio planned for Scotch Corner

Plans for a £200m Rolls Royce factory and a film studio have been drawn up for land at Scotch Corner.

Two outline planning applications are being submitted this month to Richmondshire District Council for land next to Scotch Corner Designer Village.

The plans also include an extension to the shopping and leisure outlet, which is under construction.

It is claimed the schemes could bring around £350m of new investment to the area resulting in around 1,300 new jobs, as well as creating a major new cultural and economic hub in the region, although deals are still to be signed to bring the factory and studio to the district.

The proposals from Scotch Corner Richmond LLP include an advanced manufacturing facility suitable for Rolls Royce and a further phase of the Scotch Corner Designer Village already under construction and an adjacent film and television production facility.

Laurence Beardmore, president of York & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “At a time of such uncertainty, it is wonderful to see plans to create such skilled and well-paid jobs in the region.

“Yorkshire has a strong history of both attracting household names in businesses, as well as film and television to the region so this news is doubly well-received.

“This development promises to be a game changer for North Yorkshire and as a Chamber it has our full support.”

Rolls Royce signalled earlier this year that it had shortlisted Scotch Corner for a 23,000 sq. m factory (equivalent to the size of three football pitches) with ancillary support offices (a further 3,100 sq. m).

The £200 million factory could be the first of three in the UK to manufacture parts for its small modular reactor (SMR) programme, set up to increase the availability of low-cost, clean energy.

Rolls Royce has recently visited the site and if selected, the state-of-the-art modern advanced manufacturing facility, which would support global decarbonisation, is likely to be the largest of its kind in the UK.

The proposal for a 30,650 sq. m film and television facility responds to an urgent need from the film industry, which according to recent research carried out by Knight Frank now needs an additional six million square feet (approx. 560,000 sq. m) of film and television production space by 2026 if the sector is to keep pace with growing demand.

Scotch Corner Richmond LLP says it is in active discussions with a major UK film production company.

“The ongoing success and resilience of the British film industry, plus increased appetite for  a broader range of content for Broadcast TV, Streaming, Metaverse and Cinema plus the technical and investment expertise available in the UK, means that new flexible and regional facilities are required to meet current and future market demand,” said Rob Arthur, director at Entertainment Solution Services.

“A new film studio in North Yorkshire, the location for period dramas such as Downton Abbey, Bridgerton and feature films like Mission Impossible 7, would be an absolute boon for the sector.”

The outline planning proposals also include a 12,447 sq. m extension to the Scotch Corner Designer Village, which will include extra retail units and parking.

Both the designer village and the 14,775 sq. m garden centre are scheduled to open at the end of 2023.

The Designer Village will include around 80 brands at outlet prices including Hugo Boss, Tommy Hilfiger, Levi’s and Calvin Klein.

The new home and garden centre will be operated by Blue Diamond, one of the largest garden centre groups in the UK and The Channel Islands.

Scotch Corner Richmond LLP says it has sent nearby residents and businesses a letter inviting them to visit a new website www.scotchcornerdevelopments.info

A decision on the outline planning applications is expected in the first quarter of 2023.