Westmeath County Council is to vote on Monday on whether to grant planning permission for what would be Ireland’s largest film studio, Hammerlake Studios, which could potentially create 1,000 jobs.
Councillors will need to vote 75 per cent in favour of a zoning change in order for phase one of construction to begin on the 25-acre site at Lough Sheever Corporate park in Mullingar.
Planning for the international studio was granted initial approval by the council’s planning department last July.
The application site is currently not zoned and is therefore subject to a material contravention of the Westmeath County Development plan for 2021-2027.
When completed, the campus will boast 460,000sq ft of studio space and would comfortably be Ireland’s largest film and television studio, dwarfing Troy Studios (350,000 sq ft) in Limerick and Ardmore Studios (130,000 sq ft) in Wicklow.
The aim of the studio is to attract major TV and film projects from around the world. The group behind the plan includes senior executives who have held roles at Disney and Universal Pictures. They believe the studio will be worth an estimated €50 million a year to the Mullingar economy.
Local Fianna Fáil councillor Ken Glynn said he believes the zoning change will be approved. “How could you not support this studio? It is fantastic. For years Mullingar has longed for something like this and here we have it, we’ll grab it with both hands,” he said. “I am very supportive of Hammerlake Studios, I have heard nothing negative from my constituents and I would remain very hopeful that there will be widespread support for it in the vote.”
Phase one of the project will comprise four studios or “sound stages” suitable for large-scale film and television production, an administrative building, workshops, data technology centres, editing rooms, food, fitness and other amenities.
Construction is estimated to take 12 months with film production operations to begin from the first quarter of 2024. Some 350 production jobs and 300 construction jobs will be created in phase one.
Phase two, which will be submitted for planning approval in summer 2023, will see an additional seven studios added to the campus.
Hammerlake estimates a minimum of 1,000 production jobs will be created upon full commencement of phase two operations in 2025.
More than 300 people turned up to a Hammerlake Studios careers information evening in Mullingar last week, hosted by its director of operations, Tom Dowling.
We aim to achieve 20-30 per cent of the entire studio production staff coming from the wider Mullingar area when Hammerlake Studios opens its doors in 2024
— Tom Dowling, director of operations
He said viewing habits had changed in recent years, leading to the creation of more career opportunities in the film industry.
“We have witnessed an explosion in the development of film studios in Ireland over recent years. This is due to a shift in how films or programmes can be viewed,” he said. “We still have cinemas and TVs, but you can also use your phone or tablet. A family of five could be watching five different shows, in the same house, simultaneously.
“This has driven the need for more content, consequently we need more film studio campuses to produce this content and there is a greater demand on skills in the industry than ever before,” said Mr Dowling. “We aim to achieve 20-30 per cent of the entire studio production staff coming from the wider Mullingar area when Hammerlake Studios opens its doors in 2024.”
The studio is working with Screen Training Ireland (STI) and the Longford Westmeath Education Training Board to meet employment demands, through training and upskilling locals.
STI training co-ordinator Emer McAvin said people in the Midlands would have plenty of opportunities to upskill or make a career change thanks to the new studio.
“There are over 125 different job roles within the industry and lots of different skills needed across departments. From art, carpentry, craft to construction – it’s a fascinating and a truly exciting industry to work in,” she said. “This is what we aim to support at Screen Ireland: work-based learning, new entrants coming into the industry and bringing people into these different roles.”
Mr Dowling said the studio would be one of the most sustainable in the world.
“By the end of 2025, our studio campus will be competing with the very best in the UK and Europe. The scale of the studios will allow us to cater for the largest big feature films and TV series produced anywhere in the world,” he said. “Hammerlake Studios are committed to being the most sustainable and green film studio facility in Europe. In the coming years, all businesses must move away from fossil fuels.
“We have a distinct advantage over existing studio campuses, even those built in the last decade will have to undergo costly retrofits to reduce their energy costs.
“Our carbon emissions will be minimised through a highly efficient electric energy strategy powered by on-site and procured renewable electricity; 25 per cent of all our energy needs will be generated by PV panels located on the roofs.
“The rest will be purchased from green energy providers. Our rainwater harvesting system will save thousands of litres of water usage per year.
“Sustainability will stretch across all operations within the campus, from charging points for EV cars and vans to a comprehensive waste management plan to reduce waste by segregating and recycling more materials,” he said.