Film makers in Scotland have expressed their disappointment at new plans for a studio facility to be built in Cumbernauld.
It was revealed yesterday that the £5m new sound stage could be built next year as an extension of the Wardpark Studios complex, which is currently wholly used by the US TV show Outlander.
Terry Thomson, chairman and owner of the studios, is applying to North Lanarkshire council for planning permission for the new facility, which would a total of create six sound stages on the industrial site near the M80.
However the Association of Film and Television Practitioners Scotland (AFTPS) lobby group, while welcoming the extension, said it "does not go far enough in making Scotland's screen sector compete with other nations and regions."
It adds: "The modest additional capacity will be quickly absorbed by productions currently utilizing warehouses that are not fit for purpose and do little to increase the local spend from inward investment.
"Iain Smith, producer of Oscar winning Mad Max: Fury Road, and Chair of the British Film Commission recently said on BBC’s Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland that to have a sustainable industry, we would require three productions the size of Outlander running concurrently."
"There is currently a planning application for a fully privately financed studio [in the Pentlands].
"We would ask that the Scottish Ministers fully support this proposal that will offer six state-of-the-art sound stages offer a range of options with two at 15,000 sq ft, two at 30,000 sq ft and two at 20,000 sq ft. plus a water tank and backlot.
"This facility dwarfs the converted factory in Cumbernauld even with the extension and would allow Scotland to catch up in an industry that it is sadly lagging behind in."
In the statement the AFTPS also said it was "unconvinced" that Creative Scotland, the cultural agency, and Scottish Enterprise are "working effectively as a partnership" and this is "having a detrimental effect on the economic stability of an industry they know little about.
"It is therefore essential that Scotland has a dedicated Screen Sector Agency that can develop the industry to be competitive nationally and internationally."
The developers behind the private £140m studio plan in Straiton outside Edinburgh welcomed the announcement by Wardpark studios and Scottish Enterprise.
The Pentland Studios plan is currently being judged by Ministers after being "called in" from Midlothian Council.
A statement said: "PSL Land Ltd support today’s announcement from the Scottish Government with their acknowledgment of the significant and urgent need for permanent studio facility space in Scotland.
"The potential proposed expansion of Wardpark Studios is a welcome addition to the range of future-proofed production facilities required by market demand, complementary to the world-class proposal at Pentland."
The planning permission bid, is the first major announcement by the Film Studio Delivery Group (FSDG) since it was established by the Scottish Government, Scottish Enterprise and Creative Scotland three years ago.
Mr Thomson said the new studio space, to be built on a parking lot next to the existing studios, would only be built if a sound business case could be made.
Scottish Enterprise believe the status of the public money given to the project would not breach crucial EU 'state aid' rules.
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