Coronation Street Set to Move Locations

[LalaGaga]

Britain's most famous street is to be demolished. Coronation Street's outdoor set, including the Rovers Return Inn, will move from Quay Street in Manchester city centre to a site near Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium after ITV resumed talks to relocate its offices.

Following the appointment of new ITV chairman Archie Norman, negotiations have begun again to relocate the soap's famous pub and cobbled streets to the £600m Media City UK in Salford Quays.

The existing site has been the setting for some of the most memorable scenes in television history, including numerous arguments between Ena Sharples and Elsie Tanner. With the advent of high-definition television, producers are keen to update the set as the new technology makes it easier to spot worn-out sets.


From:http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-rad...onation-street

[Katy]

could be good in the long run considering al the other meda stuff is going to be in salford if things all go to plan.

[Perdita]

Coronation Street may move to a new home after ITV re-entered talks with The Peel Group over a possible relocation to Salford's MediaCity UK development.

The proposal to move ITV's Manchester operations is now believed to be back on the table after previously being scrapped in March last year.

Coronation Street's current base is at Manchester's Quay Street, which was chosen as the location of a studio complex for Granada in the 1960s.

Bryan Gray, chairman of MediaCity UK's developers Peel, explained that the Weatherfield soap has a "pre-allocated" space next to Imperial War Museum North ahead of a possible move.

Speaking to The Guardian, he explained: "We've offered space to ITV. ITV have a particular requirement - ie, Coronation Street. We've offered them a package.

"We had some quite detailed discussions but they came to a halt with the management of ITV changing. Since the appointment of Archie Norman as chairman and John Cresswell as acting chief executive we've started discussions with ITV again."

Meanwhile, an ITV spokesperson confirmed that talks are taking place, but firmly denied suggestions that the current Quay Street set would be destroyed.

The representative this afternoon told DS: "The Peel Group has been in contact with ITV and discussions have taken place regarding media city."

Writing on the MediaGuardian website, a spokesperson for the commercial broadcaster also refuted reports that the Corrie set is to be "demolished". They wrote: "The bulldozers aren't rumbling down Quay Street because Coronation Street is not 'set to be demolished'. The Peel Group has been back in touch regarding the MediaCity project but no deal has been done which would result in any move."

DS

[Perdita]

SEAGULLS have ruined plans to relocate the Coronation Street set in Salford, according to show star Craig Gazey.

He says the noisy birds around Salford Quays forced bosses to scrap a move from central Manchester.

Craig, who plays pyromaniac-turned-butcher Graeme Proctor, told Manchester radio station Key 103: "I heard they were going to take it to Salford Quays but then someone mentioned about the seagulls.

"Because it's based in Greater Manchester how can Weatherfield suddenly have seagulls, because obviously we film outside - so how can we have like, 'All right Ken' and then seagull noises."

However, it doesn't mean the ITV soap's beloved set is safe.

The show has been running for 50 years and bosses are worried that the set looks too weathered to survive the switch to high definition filming.

Craig, who is up for the Best Newcomer gong at the National Television Awards tonight, added: "I don't know how they're going to deal with that."

But he admitted: "We do need a new Street because as we're going into HD it's going to look absolutely rubbish on there."

Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...#ixzz0d8SbP1oh

[Perdita]

The Greater Manchester Museum of Science & Industry (MOSI) has expressed interest in turning the current Coronation Street set into a tourist attraction if the soap is moved to Salford's MediaCity UK development.

In January, it emerged that talks had re-opened over the possibility of shifting the ITV1 drama from its current base at Manchester's Quay Street. The proposal had previously been scrapped in March 2009.

The MOSI is adjacent to Coronation Street's current home, providing a possibility for the two attractions to be combined should a move take place.

MOSI director Tony Hill told Crain's Manchester Business: "It's so up in the air. They were moving into MediaCity and then they were not.

"We said, 'If you were ever to move out we would be interested in having Coronation Street under our wing because we believe it could be run as a visitor attraction'.

"It has not gone much further than that. I doubt they would give it to us for free. I think they were genuinely of the opinion that they could see the merit, but equally they are a commercial organisation."

Fans were previously able to visit the Coronation Street set as part of the Granada Studios Tour, which was scrapped in 2001 due to falling visitor numbers.

DS

[alan45]

ITV has announced a deal to move its Northern operations to the new MediaCityUK complex at Salford Quays, including flagship soap opera Coronation Street.

The broadcaster has reached the conclusion of protracted negotiations with MediaCity developer Peel Media to relocate its Manchester base to Salford in 2012.

A dedicated site has been earmarked for ITV across several floors of MediaCity's Orange Building, providing modern accommodation for production arm ITV Studios. All ITV's regional news teams will eventually broadcast from a dedicated studio in the building.

Coronation Street will move from its longtime base at Quay Street Studios in central Manchester to MediaCityUK, subject to planning consent from Trafford Council.

A dedicated complex will be established for the soap alongside the Manchester Ship Canal on a 7.7 acre site at Trafford Wharf, adjacent to the Imperial War Museum North and accessed by a new bridge from the main MediaCityUK complex.

The complex will include new production facilities and an external film set built to a "greater scale than before to equip the soap for the demands of future broadcasting developments, whilst also replicating the original appearance of Weatherfield".

The production centre will also include two sound stage buildings, specialist production facilities and offices, dressing rooms and meeting space for production staff and cast.

"It's terrific news for ITV and all of our people based in Manchester that we have agreed this deal with Peel Media. This continues our long and successful relationship with the region which has played such a key part in ITV's heritage as a programme maker," said ITV chief executive Adam Crozier.

"ITV is already one of the UK's biggest investors in original content and as we progress our Transformation Plan, which is focused on growing our national and international production and broadcasting business, it is vital that we have a modern, fit-for-purpose, creative hub outside of London.

"Coronation Street is an incredible brand and as we celebrate its 50th anniversary, it's fantastic news that we are able to invest in the construction of a modern production centre to ensure that the nation's best-loved soap remains at the top of its game for another half a century."

John Whittaker, the Peel Group chairman, added: "ITV is an outstanding international brand producing a fantastic range of popular programmes and I am delighted it has taken a strategic decision to move to MediaCityUK. This is a landmark deal for both MediaCityUK and The Peel Group, and is critical in helping to deliver the long-term vision that we share with all our partners."

Following today's announcement, ITV will work on a strategic disposal of its Quay Street base towards the aim of vacating the site by early 2013.

[alan45]

Coronation Street's executive producer Kieran Roberts has reassured viewers that the confirmed move to a new studio will not affect the soap's output.

It was announced yesterday that the Weatherfield drama will relocate to a purpose-built 7.7acre set-up at the MediaCityUK complex in Salford Quays.

"Of course there will be a degree of sadness about leaving Quay Street and we'll be sad to say goodbye," Roberts told the Manchester Evening News. "But we have to look forward. If we just wallow in nostalgia, then we're not doing the right thing by the show and the right thing for our viewers."

The new set will look identical to the current one based at Granada Studios - however, the buildings on the street will now be constructed to scale.

Roberts continued: "Obviously we won't move over there until the new site is not just built but seriously road-tested. We will have a brand new, state-of-the-art bespoke facility, which is hugely exciting. But we'll move in such a way that there's no great interruption for the viewers.

"We don't want it to suddenly look and feel completely different. It's going to have the same Coronation Street that they know and love. I would certainly want to reassure viewers that it won't lose anything, and it will gain."

"We're not going to do it in such a way that the viewers will notice any changes that they're uncomfortable with," he stated. "Going full-scale will allow us certain opportunities whereby we may be able to dress more of the insides of the houses, for example. Currently we can only film in doorways on the lot and then obviously you have to move to the studio to do the interiors. That's something we could look at having more flexibility."

Roberts was unable to confirm if the new exterior set will allow viewers to see more of Weatherfield.

"We may add but we haven't gone into that level of detail," he said. "Over the years the site has organically grown. Once upon a time there was just houses on one side. Then we built on the other side. Then we added Victoria Street and Victoria Court beyond.

"So we may well look at that opportunity. That will be in the fine detail that we work through over the next 12 months or so."

[Liz HF]

I think it is great that Corrie is moving to a new location! Though I imagine it must be a lot of work trying to re-create the old set. It’s a shame that the street could not withstand another 50 years!

[alan45]

Coronation Street's new set at Trafford Wharf is reportedly considered a 'high' bomb risk due to World War Two attacks on the site.

Developers working on the new building have been informed that unexploded bombs may have to be disabled, following a report submitted to Trafford Council. The Manchester Evening News reports that the area was heavily targeted during the Blitz.

A survey by geophysics company Zetica estimated that there could be around 85 unexploded, high-explosive bombs in the Salford Quays vicinity.

Mike Sainsbury from the organisation said: "We would advise the developers to undertake a detailed desk study on the history of the site during both world wars and, if necessary, call in a company like ours. We can do various probes to find out if there are any bombs in the area."

The paper also reports that planning permission for the new Granada Studios has been submitted. It claims that the external studios will be an exact replica of the current set, built to a larger scale.

"The buildings will be bigger to equip the set for HD televisions and other broadcasting developments," an ITV spokesperson added.

[Perdita]

The owners of bread brand Hovis are opposing plans to relocate Coronation Street's filming base to Salford Quays, reports have revealed.

ITV recently announced a deal to move the long-running soap from its current home at Quay Street Studios in central Manchester to the new MediaCityUK development in Trafford Wharf.

According to the Manchester Evening News, as Hovis's headquarters are adjacent to Corrie's planned new home, parent company Premier Foods has now submitted a formal objection to Trafford council over the proposal.

The letter of objection states that there is already a traffic congestion problem in the area, adding: "Should the ITV development come forward and operate at weekends, it is possible that this problem could be exacerbated."

Premier Foods is also concerned that Corrie bosses could raise complaints over the level of noise at Hovis and its impact on filming.

The company's letter adds: "Premier Foods request the certainty that their operations, which can be noisy, will not be compromised by future complaints from ITV to the council in future. Until a noise survey is submitted in this respect, they object to the application."

ITV and Hovis have yet to comment on the newspaper's report.


DS