Locations firm is opening its second Enfield Lock site, said to be largest in London

*Outside OMA:X Film Studios in Enfield Lock are (from left) James Hanford, head of acquisitions at Location Collective; Antony Iredale, managing director; and Becky Butler, head of operations*

Another big film studios complex is opening in Enfield – the third to arrive in the borough in the last year.

Film locations agency, Location Collective, is launching its second site in Enfield Lock later this summer. At 20,800 square metres in size, it will be 50% bigger than its first site in Mollison Avenue, which the company had already claimed to be the biggest film studio in London.

OMA:X Film Studios will be created inside an existing warehouse site and will feature six sound stages, catering for what Location Collective describe as a “post-Covid filming boom” caused by major studios and streaming companies looking to catch up on content production after the pandemic.

They add that shooting in the UK allows production companies to benefit from “significant film and TV industry tax-breaks, breadth of architecture and landscape, and world-class talent and filming infrastructure”. Total spend on UK film and TV production reached £3.6billion in 2019.

Enfield now has a fast-growing reputation as a major filming location, helped by deputy council leader Ian Barnes’ industry connections as an Oscar-nominated director. Another film studios site opened at Meridian Water earlier this year.

Antony Iredale, managing director of Location Collective, said: “We are extremely excited about the role OMA:X Film Studios has the potential to play in bringing the biggest, highest-profile productions to London and the UK.

“The message we’re receiving from studio executives we’ve spoken to over the last couple of months has been the same: ‘London is where we want to make this project, we just need to find enough space to do it’.

“The site has perfect ‘bone structure’ for film studio use. The building’s 46 foot [14 metre] working height clearance and vast pillar-less spans have provided us with a rare opportunity to create sound stages of significant size and scale.

“It’s a site I’ve driven past for many years and thought about how fantastic it would be to make it available for film studio use. Now, we are very fortunate to be in the position of making it a reality.

“Enfield Council has been hugely supportive of our plans, demonstrating once again the borough’s commitment to placing Enfield on the map as a film production hub.”

Council leader Nesil Caliskan said: “Location Collective’s decision to expand in Enfield with the opening of OMA:X is hugely exciting and beneficial for the borough, and will attract a continuous flow of high calibre film and television productions for many years to come.

“We have worked closely with London Collective to make this vision a reality and we are delighted that London’s largest film studio is opening in our borough.

“The creative industries make a large contribution to London’s economy and OMA:X together with OMA Film Studios will complement the growing film and entertainment industry at Meridian Water and support Enfield Council’s plans to support good quality, long-term jobs for local people, as well as further enhancing cultural aspects across our community.”

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