Council plans to charge TV productions for filming

Film and television production companies could be charged to shoot at council-owned locations in Wakefield under plans to generate income from filming.

The district's profile as a filming destination has risen since Adolescence was shot in South Kirkby, along with other productions including the Channel 4 drama Faith in Normanton.

Wakefield Council is being asked to approve a pricing policy allowing it to recover the costs of supporting and co-ordinating filming activity.

It said the move was essential to take advantage of a "serious inquiry" from location managers behind a second series of the "highest grossing and most watched Channel 4 drama of 2026", who want to use Wakefield as a backdrop.

The report said the district had a "wealth of unique and versatile filming locations" capable of attracting film, television, commercial and photographic productions.

They include County Hall, Pontefract Castle, historic buildings and town centres as well as privately owned locations such as Production Park, stately homes and business parks.

The council said it had received 50 inquiries from production companies since establishing a film office in January, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

It said many of the inquiries were supported, including the filming of Faith, which took place in Normanton from January to February.

The report said: "Although this brought wider economic benefits, not all council services were able to recover costs from the services provided, as a formal pricing policy was not yet in place."

In relation to the approach about the second series of the Channel 4 drama which it did not name, the report said the request related to filming at "multiple locations" across the city over a six-month period.

In July Channel 4 announced that period drama A Woman of Substance was its most-streamed drama of the past five years.

It was filmed in Yorkshire at locations including Broughton Hall, Ilkley Moor, Keighley Station, Brodsworth Hall, Barnsley Town Hall and Thwaites Mill.

The report added: "It is essential that we have a pricing policy in place to take advantage of this request.

"The absence of a pricing structure restricts our ability to recover costs associated with the use of land, property, parks and green spaces (for filming and unit bases), officer time to facilitate filming activity and site management, drone permits, and sign-off fees for film release.

"Implementing a pricing policy would ensure a consistent and transparent approach to recovering the costs incurred in supporting filming activity."

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