The EastEnders reportedly have huge multi-million dollar plans to expand their set with a new backlot to create dozens of new filming locations.
The BBC soap opera plans to add three new games, according to Sun who have seen the planning documents submitted to the local council.
Arrives one year after EastEndersThe new set has finally been completed after five years of work hampered by the coronavirus pandemic and backlash over sky-high costs.
In the proposals are a new set of department stores, a set of shops and homes and an area with nine shipping containers where the old Albert Square used to be, the publication claims.
The allotment and park areas will also reportedly be expanded to provide more outdoor green space for filming to maximize the use of the area and reduce the need for off-site filming.
Expansive: The EastEnders reportedly have huge multi-million dollar plans to expand their set with a new backlot to create dozens of new filming locations.
Impressive: The BBC soap opera plans to add three new rides, according to The Sun, which has seen planning documents submitted to local council (Patsy Kensit pictured in park)
A source said: “The bosses don’t want the old team to go to waste when there is so much that can be done with it for Walford.”
‘It’s going to open up the world of soap operas even more for more drama and more high-stakes stories.
“Corrie and Emmerdale have huge sets and expansions and with this there is no danger of the EastEnders being left behind.”
When contacted by MailOnline, a BBC spokesperson said: “These plans are part of the ongoing redevelopment of the Elstree site and fall within the existing budget set out in 2018.”
The new development forms part of the BBC’s £87 million budget set out in 2018, which was part of an investment in the wider BBC Elstree Center site.
It includes the addition of new on-site boilers and power plants along with upgraded central facilities to house them.
This past March, the new EastEnders set was finally completed after five years of work hampered by the coronavirus pandemic and backlash over skyrocketing costs.
The Elstree set features all the familiar Albert Square landmarks, including the Queen Victoria pub, Arches and Walford East station, with the project originally scheduled for completion in August 2018.
Huge: In the proposals are a new set of department stores, a collection of shops and houses and an area with nine shipping containers where the old Albert Square used to be, the publication claims.
Plans: The allotment and park areas will also reportedly be expanded to provide more outdoor green space for filming.
Earlier, the soap raised speculation and questions about upcoming storylines after it was reported that show bosses were considering including a mosque on the new set, right next to the Prince Albert pub.
A BBC statement said the new production house “allows for improved HD for our audiences and better filming options.”
The BBC spent millions building a new set for EastEnders after the old site was deemed “unfit for purpose” in 2016, and sparked fury with the large sum.
After unleashing a value-for-money fury from license payers, the new set has now been in the works for a year.
The old set was built in 1984, with the intention of only being used for two years.
The new set has been erected right next to the old one, based at Elstree Studios in Borehamwood.
What started as a rubble plot adjacent to the show’s original set has been transformed into the fictional East London enclave, after builders returned to work following a disruption caused by the Covid outbreak and Britain’s subsequent lockdowns. .
Many of Albert Square’s most iconic locations were recreated for the new set, including the Queen Vic pub, the Mitchell brothers’ auto shop, Beale’s fish and chip shop and Ruby Allen nightclub.
The investment in the BBC’s longest running television drama series has enhanced the HD experience for the audience and improved filming options.
Space: A source said: “The bosses don’t want the old set to go to waste when there is so much that can be done with it for Walford.”
Busy: Last March EastEnders’ new £87m set was finally completed after five years of work hampered by the coronavirus pandemic and backlash over sky-high costs
EastEnders production can now explore new areas on screen and writers, producers and directors have greater freedom to drive further creativity.
In 2018, the BBC was accused of “outrageously spending” license fee money after it emerged that the new EastEnders set would cost £86.7m.
That was £27 million over the original budget, and the project was expected to be almost five years behind schedule.
The BBC was accused of “complacency” over a staggering £87m bill for its new EastEnders set in March 2020.