EastEnders Expands Set at BBC’s Elstree Centre

EastEnders is working to expand its set with photos on Wednesday showing new town houses and shops being built at its old location. 

Filming began on the brand new set, which is located just a stone’s throw from the old location at the BBC’s Elstree Centre in Borehamwood, back in January 2022. 

Plans for an expansion were revealed last year following the demolition of the old Albert Square to make room for a new development. 

The expansion involves new structures and facades including a new warehouse location and a collection of shops and houses.

Aerial photos show a huge metal structure being built in the centre of the land, with a new green-fronted restaurant or pub. 

EastEnders is working to expand its set with photos on Wednesday showing new town houses and shops being built at its old location

Filming began on the brand new set (pictured), which is located just a stone’s throw from the old location at the BBC’s Elstree Centre in Borehamwood, back in January 2022

Bosses are reportedly planning to expand Walford even further and create dozens more filming locations nearby. 

The new upgraded set also allows for the soap to be filmed in HD. 

Last summer, it was reported that the BBC planned to transform the old set into a shipping container area to support filming in plans to expand Walford. 

Despite the fact that the soap opera had only intended to use the original set for two years, it was the home of EastEnders for an impressive 37 years of filming. 

The flash featured a new Queen Vic pub and Albert Square all built in a near-identical setup.

The £87million set was completed in 2022 after five years of work hampered by the coronavirus pandemic and backlash over soaring costs – with the project originally intended for completion in August 2018.

Earlier this year, it was claimed that bosses had huge multi-million pound plans to expand their set with a new backlot.

Plans showed three brand new sets in total, according to documents obtained by The Sun.

Plans for an expansion were revealed last year following the demolition of the old Albert Square to make room for a new development

The expansion involves new structures and facades including a new warehouse location and a collection of shops and houses

Aerial photos show a huge metal structure being built in the centre of the land, with a new green-fronted restaurant or pub

Bosses are reportedly planning to expand Walford even further and create dozens more filming locations nearby

Last summer, it was reported that the BBC planned to transform the old set into a shipping container area to support filming in plans to expand Walford

There were plans to add three brand new sets in total, according to documents obtained by The Sun

In the proposals, there was large warehouse set, a collection of shops and houses and an area with nine shipping containers where the old Albert Square used to be, the publication claimed

A source said: ‘Bosses don’t want the old set to go to waste when there’s so much that can be done with it for Walford’

In the proposals, there was a new large warehouse set, a collection of shops and houses and an area with nine shipping containers where the old Albert Square used to be, the publication claimed.

The allotment and park areas are also reportedly set to be expanded, giving more outdoor green space for filming and to reduce the need for off-site filming. 

A source said: ‘Bosses don’t want the old set to go to waste when there’s so much that can be done with it for Walford.

‘It’s going to open up the soap’s world even more for more drama and more high-stakes storylines.

‘Corrie and Emmerdale both have huge sets and expansions and with this there’s no danger EastEnders will be left behind.’

When contacted by MailOnline at the time, a BBC spokesperson said: ‘These plans are part of the continued redevelopment of the Elstree site and sit within the existing budget as set out in 2018.’

The new development forms part of BBC’s £87 million budget set out in 2018, which was part of an investment in the wider BBC Elstree Centre site 

At the time the broadcaster was accused of ‘outrageously overspending’ licence fee cash

The new development forms part of BBC’s £87 million budget set out in 2018, which was part of an investment in the wider BBC Elstree Centre site.

At the time the broadcaster was accused of ‘outrageously overspending’ licence fee cash. 

It was £27million over the original budget – and the project was expected to be nearly five years late.

The BBC was accused of ‘complacency’ over the astonishing £87million bill for its new EastEnders set in March 2020.