Walford revitalised: EastEnders to introduce brand new areas when show's set is upgra
Walford will be getting bigger and better as part of plans to upgrade the EastEnders set.
Show bosses are planning to introduce brand new parts of the fictional borough when the soap's base in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire is modernised.
Plans for EastEnders to rebuild and expand its exterior set were first announced in January 2014. At the time, it was proposed that a temporary set would be created on site to enable filming to continue while the permanent structure was rebuilt.
However, new plans submitted to Hertsmere Borough Council have revealed that the temporary Albert Square set will now become a permanent fixture instead. This paves the way for exciting new areas of Walford to be introduced, as the site of the current Albert Square can be repurposed.
An official planning document states: "In July 2014, the BBC commenced a review of its development strategy for the replacement of the EastEnders stage set. This involved consideration of whether the approved Temporary Lot should instead be made into a permanent Front Lot, with potentially significant cost savings and other film and television operational benefits.
"Following a detailed assessment of the proposals, the BBC has decided to proceed with the permanent arrangement and it is for that reason that these applications are now being made."
The document adds: "The BBC's current intention is that following completion of the Front Lot, the existing EastEnders set will be demolished and over half the site will be re-used to build a new permanent Back Lot featuring a range of new locations for use by EastEnders.
"The remaining half of the site will be retained in the short term as a flexible film and television production space."
BBC chiefs made the decision to rebuild the EastEnders set to help the show cope better with the demands of high definition television. Changes will include making the set 20% bigger and rebuilding the Albert Square houses with real bricks to ensure that they look more realistic on screen.
An EastEnders spokesperson told Digital Spy: "As we announced last year, the EastEnders set is to be rebuilt. Part of the plan was to build a temporary set so the current set could be demolished and rebuilt whilst filming continues.
"However, to be the most cost efficient we can, we are now aiming for our temporary set to become a permanent fixture. This will enable us to create new parts of Walford that can better reflect the modern East End, and secure the long term future of the show."
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