A dedicated office is being set up in Essex to promote the county as a location for film and TV and ensure ‘we’re at the top of the list of great places to film’.

UK spend on film and high-end TV productions for the full year 2021 was £5.64 billion. This is the highest since records began, and £1.27 billion higher than the previous peak reported in 2019.

Now Essex County Council has begun the process of establishing the Essex film office that will bring the county in line with Kent, Suffolk and other surrounding counties to help it tap into the lucrative market.

With a television production’s estimated spend of £22,000 per day and a major feature film around £42,000, on everything from local caterers, security and taxi firms, to hotels, restaurants and coffee shops the income can be substantial and benefit not just professional services associated directly with TV and film production but also businesses such as local caterers, security firms, taxi firms as well as hotels, restaurants and coffee shops.

The Essex Film Office will be part of a nationwide group of local authority film offices which will receive call outs from national and international productions looking for locations.

It is currently working on the process around issuing permits for filming work which will work for all partners including districts, boroughs, cities, highways and private business.

The move comes on the back of the successful production for Apple TV’s interpretation of Sarah Perry’s bestselling novel The Essex Serpent starring Claire Danes and Tom Hiddleston filmed in 2021 around Maldon.

Scenes from Mission Impossible 6 with Tom Cruise were filmed in Brentwood in 2017. Essex County Council received £32k for its filming fee.

Erica Gilson, Essex County Council’s marketing and business development manager, told the Place Services and Economic Growth Policy and Scrutiny Committee on October 20: “Essex has some of the most diverse and beautiful landscapes in the UK and currently our coast is of particular interest to directors and location managers – notably the Apple TV series and the adaptation of the Essex Serpent which was filmed here in Essex.

“We need to ensure that we’re getting Essex out there and that we’re at the top of the list of great places to film and that we become a film friendly county.

“This Autumn we have appointed a dedicated film officer into post whose role it is to promote Essex to location managers and to work with Creative England in ensuring that we are showcasing the wealth and diversity of locations that we have to offer across the county.

“The film office will act as a single point of contact for film inquiries, tapping into industry knowledge and building networks within the local area.

“The film office will also act as a troubleshooter, bridging the gap between locations and location teams. We will work collaboratively with all agencies to help facilitate filming in Essex and support film crews who want to film in public spaces and on highways whilst at the same time minimizing disruption to residents and local businesses.”