Members News

World class film studio to be built in Broxbourne Borough

A major new film studio is set to be built in the Borough of Broxbourne. Land to the west of Waltham Cross has been purchased by Blackstone real estate funds and Hudson Pacific Properties for a new centre for film, television and digital production. This will be the partners’ first expansion of their Sunset Studios platform outside of the United States.

The 91 acre site, close to M25 junction 25, is allocated in the Borough’s approved Local Plan 2018 – 2033 as a strategic employment site. This development will be a significant investment to the area creating over 4,500 permanent jobs and many more during its construction. It is expected to contribute more than £300million to the local economy annually.

Councillor Lewis Cocking, Leader of Broxbourne Borough Council, said: “This represents a fantastic opportunity for the people of our Borough. Creative Industries are of strategic importance to us and the creation of over 4,500 permanent new jobs and the associated boost to the local economy is just what we need following the pandemic. We look forward to working with Blackstone and Hudson Pacific to help deliver significant positive change in Broxbourne.” Economic growth is one of the Council’s corporate priorities which is underpinned by its recently approved Economic Development Strategy.

Ecoserv Group is a multi-discipline facilities management (FM) company that provides cleaning, waste management and maintenance solutions to customers nationwide, across a diverse mix of industry sectors

The company was rebranded from Ecocleen in August 2021 as part of its plans to diversify the business from a leading commercial contract cleaning provider and offer complementary facilities services.

The recent rebrand represents a significant step forward in Ecoserv Group’s growth strategy, ensuring it is best placed to take advantage of opportunities within the FM marketplace.

As a result, a number of strategic acquisitions and partnerships are being targeted in the coming months, alongside continued investment in the existing business. This follows the acquisition of Watfordbased The JPM Group in April, which enabled the company to expand its presence within both established and new sectors – most notably the film industry – whilst continuing to grow its nationwide network. Ecoserv Group has been a growth company for a number of years, but it has been during the last 15 months that has truly demonstrated its commitment to expanding the size, scope, and profitability of the business. The company have taken significant strides throughout the pandemic to double its turnover by proactively pursuing organic growth and acquisitions. Furthermore, Ecoserv Group is expected to increase by more than 70% in 2021, with revenue projected to reach £30 million. Ecoserv Group currently services more than 20 million sq. ft of office, retail, leisure, healthcare, education, and industrial space on behalf of a wide range of private and public sector organisations. In fact, the company is now partner of choice for over five hundred customers, handling FM contracts of all sizes on a local, regional, and national basis. As an eco-engaged business with a green heritage, Ecoserv Group is also committed to being sustainable in the communities it operates. This year, the company has introduced a roadmap that locks the business into a range of environmental and social sustainability targets. The next steps are to determine its exact carbon footprint and validate any existing assessments. This will enable Ecoserv Group to set specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely (SMART) emission reduction targets and develop an effective strategy to achieve them.