THE studios where River City was filmed for more than two decades have been sold for £2.1 million to a housing developer, leaving fans and industry bosses “devastated” at the loss of one of Scotland’s best-known TV sets.
Dumbarton Studios, which hosted production of the BBC Scotland soap for 24 years, has been acquired by Glasgow-based Turnberry Homes, despite a high-profile campaign to save the site for continued screen use, reports the Scottish Sun.
Maureen Hascoet, director of Firewalker Pictures, who led the bid to preserve the studios, said: “The sale confirms the wider concern many of us in the industry had.
“I’m extremely disappointed that a fully funded proposal to retain Dumbarton Studios as a working film and TV facility wasn’t successful.
“Recent meetings have shown we are far from done feeling the compounding effects of the loss of Dumbarton Studios. I hope it becomes a cautionary tale and sparks a broader conversation about how Scotland values, protects and develops long-term screen infrastructure.”
The studio also served as a filming location for popular sitcoms Still Game and Two Doors Down.
BBC Scotland had leased the facility for £150,000 per year, but the agreement was set to expire in September.
Hascoet secured £5m in backing to purchase the site, but owners Westerwood Properties rejected the offer.
Turnberry Homes completed the purchase in January, according to the Land Register of Scotland, ten months after it was announced that River City would air for the final time in late August.
The four-hectare site, located on Studio Drive, contains purpose-built sets including the Tall Ship pub and Oyster Café.
It is large enough to accommodate around 100 new homes.
River City first aired in September 2002, drawing 780,000 viewers for its premiere episode.
BBC bosses have said they will reinvest resources from the show into new programming.
The decision to take River City off-air has been attributed to falling audience numbers.
Turnberry Homes has been approached for comment.
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