Two outline planning applications are being submitted this month to Richmondshire District Council, on land next to Scotch Corner Designer Village, in North Yorkshire, which could deliver around £350m of new investment to the area.

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, which is already under construction, together with a 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.

Plans have been submitted for a £350m investment at Scotch Corner which would create a major cultural and economic hub

“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.”

In a statement, the developers behind the proposal, said: “Rolls Royce signalled earlier this year that it had shortlisted Scotch Corner for a 23,000 sq. m factory, which is equivalent to the size of three football pitches, with ancillary support offices.

“The £200m 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 of film and television production space by 2026 if the sector is to keep pace with growing demand. Scotch Corner Richmond LLP is in active discussions with a major UK film production company.”

Rob Arthur, Director at Entertainment Solution Services, said: “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.

"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 sqm garden centre are scheduled to open at the end of 2023, if permission is granted.

A decision on the outline planning applications is expected to be published in the first quarter of 2023. Scotch Corner Richmond LLP was set up by Simon Waterfield, a property developer, and co-founder Peter Mullen specifically for the developments at Scotch Corner.

Scotch Corner Designer Village could be expanded under plans to build Rolls Royce factory and TV studio in North Yorkshire