Liverpool and Hertsmere, the home of the UK’s television and film industry have today signed a landmark partnership in a move designed to boost investment, innovation and creative industries across both regions.
The agreement between Liverpool City Council and Hertsmere Borough Council will create a new Creative & Innovation Corridor linking two of the UK's most recognisable creative economies.
The partnership aims to strengthen collaboration across film, television, music, gaming, immersive technology, skills and innovation, while supporting future investment and economic growth opportunities in both areas.
By working together, both councils will explore opportunities to support economic growth, attract investment, develop skills and strengthen collaboration across the creative, cultural and innovation sectors.
The partnership will create a framework for joint working across a wide range of areas including creative industries, film and television production, music, animation, gaming, immersive technology, research and development, innovation, workforce development and inward investment.
It will also encourage collaboration between universities, industry partners, businesses and public sector organisations, helping to strengthen talent pipelines and support the growth of emerging technologies and creative production.
A central ambition of the agreement is the development of a Creative & Innovation Corridor connecting two nationally significant creative economies. By combining complementary strengths, Liverpool and Hertsmere will seek to create new opportunities for businesses, investors and residents while supporting sustainable growth and innovation.
The agreement also reflects Liverpool's wider ambitions to strengthen its position as a leading centre for creativity and innovation, building on the city's internationally recognised cultural reputation, growing digital and creative sectors, the work of Liverpool Film Office, and major developments such as Littlewoods Creative Campus.
The Memorandum of Understanding will run for an initial three-year period and will be reviewed annually. It establishes a framework for collaboration but does not create any legal, financial, procurement or contractual obligations on either authority.
Councillor Jeremy Newmark, Leader of Hertsmere Borough Council, said:
“This is a landmark agreement that recognises Hertsmere and Liverpool are not competitors, we complement each other.
“Hertsmere has been at the heart of the UK’s film and television industry for more than a century with world class studios, Elstree Film Studios. Fairbanks Studios. Sky Studios Elstree, and soundstages, crews and craft.
“Liverpool brings locations the world recognises, a music heritage no one can match, and a visitor economy that turns a film shoot into a tourist trail.
“Put those together and you have something neither of us has alone. A production that builds its sets in Borehamwood, shoots its streets in Liverpool — and spends its money in both.
“The creative industries are one of the eight growth sectors at the heart of the Government’s Industrial Strategy. And the competition for every major production is global.
“Investors do not want a patchwork of councils. They want a proposition. This memorandum gives them one: a North–South Creative and Innovation Corridor, backed by two councils that have chosen to work together.
“Today, Liverpool and Hertsmere are backing talent; backing ambition and backing each other."
Councillor Liam Robinson, Leader of Liverpool City Council, said:
"Liverpool is one of the UK's leading creative cities, and this partnership reflects our ambition to build new relationships that support growth, innovation and opportunity.
“Hertsmere has an internationally recognised reputation in film and television production, while Liverpool has established itself as a major centre for culture, creativity, innovation and regeneration.
“By bringing together our complementary strengths, we can create stronger connections between our creative economies, support skills and investment, and help position both places at the forefront of the UK's future creative growth.”