One does feel that there are far bigger issues than this in the county, with council tax rising faster than the temperature! So how much will all this cost? How many staff will be needed to manage this? Are they new staff? It would be nice to know all these things! A new “film office” within Conwy County Council could boost the area as a filming location for Netflix and HBO shows such as ‘Game of Thrones’, says a council report.
At a cabinet meeting at Bodlondeb, councillors were presented with the council’s Conwy Corporate Events and Film Strategy 2025-2030.
With Conwy adopting its first Events Strategy in 2009, the latest draft represents the fourth since then and will give a strategic direction for the next five years.
The latest iteration now includes the film strategy for the first time, and councillors heard how Conwy had 70 filming enquiries over the past year alone.
The new film office will provide production companies with one-stop contact and specialist advice and guidance.
The report, though, wasn’t all good news as councillors were told previous events strategies had been far more ambitious, following large budget cuts in post-pandemic years.
But it is hoped the new film office will streamline the process for TV and film companies wanting to use the county as a location.
The report stated: “The county’s proximity to the major film and television production hubs in Manchester and Liverpool presents opportunities to court increased levels of location filming to the county, along with the often significant spend made by film units.
“The overlapping needs of film units and major events makes the inclusion of a film office service as a core part of our event support offer an obvious decision.
“Adopting a single point of contact approach for filming enquiries makes working with Conwy easier for location managers as well as reducing the administrative burden from film enquires for officers in a range of sections.”
The report concluded: “Previously film enquiries would have been responded to with a list of contacts within the council that needed to be approached separately, creating a distraction from core service delivery for the officers concerned and more work for the production company.
“The film office will serve to protect officers in highways, licencing, harbours, estates, and many other sections from needing to deal directly with film companies, whilst they still retain control over their spaces/facilities.”
Councillors backed the plans after cabinet member Cllr Dilwyn Roberts presented the report, stating that the strategy would help support the economy, adding that “the film industry was growing” in the region as the county “had everything”.
Adrian La Trobe, the head of events management, said: “Touching briefly on the Conwy film office, the location filming for the county has become an increasingly popular area for production companies.
“We’ve had 70 film company enquiries for filming in the county just within the last 12 months.
“The needs of production companies coming into an area are not so very different from those of event organisers, so it did seem to make sense to make that single point of contact for film companies alongside the major events team.
“Not all of the film enquiries we’re going to get into the county are going to be high-budget Netflix or HBO-type productions, but every time a film company comes into the county, we are getting free coverage, promoting our area for tourism, even if it’s only ‘Four in a Bed’ or ‘Escape to the Country’ or programmes of that sort, which we couldn’t be affording to buy as advertising.”
According to the report, the Welsh economy was boosted by over £156m in 2021 and 2022 from film and TV production, with the industry continuing to grow.
Cllr Nigel Smith seconded Cllr Dilwyn Roberts’ proposal to back the report.
“It is absolutely fantastic, and for me keeping this supply chain local, encouraging the use of food and drink, working with local groups to help support filming in the county, it ticks many boxes for me. It is great,” he said.
Leader Cllr Charlie McCoubrey joked Conwy was the “Hollywood by the sea”.
He said: “The movie industry in Northern Ireland is a huge driver of tourism, the ‘Game of Thrones’ tour, etc, and given the proximity to Manchester, which is the second biggest centre of arts in the UK, there is a real opportunity to grow that, and it is local jobs, and it’s very complementary with tourism.”
Councillors heard how the draft strategy had been prepared against a “very different landscape” to previous iterations because of the economic challenges in the post pandemic years.
Members were told the document marks a “step change” in how Conwy engages with events in the county, since several rafts of funding cuts in recent years.
Whilst previous strategy documents have sought to fund and host national and international events, with the aim of raising the profile of the county, Conwy is now attempting to assist others in doing this.
The report stated: “By contrast this document shifts Conwy’s position to providing specialist advice and guidance to event organisers, helping to ensure the events that happen within the county are safe and professionally managed and that Conwy is recognised as an easy destination to host an event.
“We remain open and keen to host national and international events where match funding by the county is not required.”
By Richard Evans – Local Democracy Reporter From...https://north.wales/news/conwy/new-film-office-in-conwy-set-to-boost-area-for-netflix-and-hbo-shows-council-report-shows-54341.html
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