Road closures for filming raises thousands

2 hours ago

Esme KenneyLocal Democracy Reporting Service

Oxfordshire County Council was paid £2,130 plus VAT for the filming of parts of The Crown at Britwell Hill Road near Watlington

Netflix/PA Wire A scene from The Crown, with actors Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth and Sir Jonathan Pryce as the Duke of Edinburgh from part two of the final season of The Crown. — Oxfordshire County Council was paid £2,130 plus VAT for the filming of parts of The Crown at Britwell Hill Road near Watlington

Road closures for filming have raised thousands for a county council since 2023.

A freedom of information request (FOI) revealed that Oxfordshire County Council has raised £22,849 plus VAT from filming of films and TV shows such as Netflix's drama series The Crown.

Production companies must apply for permission from the local authority, which requires up to 12 weeks' notice for temporary road and footpaths closure requests for filming.

The council said any money raised was spent on administrative costs, legal documents to support road closures and staff time.

Applications to film on certain locations, such as Broad Street, are subject to the maximum filming fees, the council said

Stephen McKay A view of Broad Street in Oxford on an overcast day. Shops and University buildings such as The Bodleian Library can be seen. There are bike stands on the opposite side. Some vehicles are also parked on the street. — Applications to film on certain locations, such as Broad Street, are subject to the maximum filming fees, the council said

Both Oxford and the wider county have been popular locations for filming for a long time, with Harry Potter, Inspector Morse, Bridgerton and My Oxford Year being filmed here.

Parts of The Crown, whose stars include Claire Foy and Olivia Colman, were filmed at Britwell Hill Road near Watlington on 2 January 2023.

The county council was paid £2,130 plus VAT.

Filming for Guy Ritchie's upcoming Prime Video series Young Sherlock raised a further £2,644 plus VAT.

It saw Merton Street, Oriel Square, King Edward Street, Queens Lane, New College Lane and Catte Street in Oxford closed for five days in August 2024.

The show is set to be released in March and the trailer features Sherlock going to Oxford University.

The Sheep Detectives, a mystery comedy film starring Hugh Jackman, also filmed some scenes in Oxfordshire and will be released in May.

The council was paid a total of £5,288 for two separate closures of Cox's Lane in Crowmarsh Gifford and High Street in Watlington in June and July 2024 respectively.

Why is Oxford so good for filming locations?

The costs are worked out based on the size of the crew and the complexities of the filming requirements.

Applications to film on Broad Street, Catte Street, Holywell Street, Merton Street, New College Lane, Oriel Square, Queens Lane and Turl Street in Oxford, as well as Britwell Hill Road, are subject to the maximum filming fees.

Dan Levy, cabinet member for finance, said: "We should be welcoming filming in the county, not for the money that the council gets but because it advertises what a great place Oxfordshire is to visit and to invest in".

A council spokesperson added that costs were "in line with our agreed charges for normal road closures and special events".

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