A new two storey precinct is to be built onto ITV’s Coronation Street set in Manchester.
The Weatherfield Precinct will feature maisonettes, a staircase and balcony, as well as a piazza and a range of local shops and units.
Construction is set to begin this week, but it will be at least 6 months before it can start appearing in storylines.
“We are extremely excited to be starting to build Weatherfield Precinct this week after a year of technical drawings, model making, visualising and planning,” explained Production Designer, Rosie Mullins-Hoyle.
“An incredible amount of research has been carried out focussing on 1960s local architecture and we are striving to create an authentic area of Weatherfield with a grittier vibe to the existing street that we know and love. The build is being led by myself and Construction Manager Keith Eccleston and is a fantastic opportunity to use some of the amazing behind the scene talents we have on the show with bespoke joinery, scenic art work, graphic design and set dressing skills all being involved.”
The build comes as the soap moves to new hour-long episodes at 8pm.
“The fabled Weatherfield Precinct has been much discussed, but little seen on the show in our 61 years, and I am really excited to be expanding the Coronation Street universe,” added Coronation Street’s Series Producer, Iain MacLeod.
“The plans for the shopping area are drawn directly from the real-world Salford environs that inspired the show’s creator Tony Warren and exemplify the authenticity and ambition we still prize as we move to hour-long episodes this week.”
The Coronation Street set is based in Trafford, across the Manchester Ship Canal from MediaCityUK.
“As we (hopefully) come out of Covid and start to stretch our dramatic legs again, it will be great to be able to play exciting new stories against a brand new backdrop. And it’s a testament to the confidence ITV has in the show that it is investing so much in our future,” said John Whiston, Managing Director, Continuing Drama and Head of ITV in the North.
“Mind you, I guess it won’t be long before we blow it up, burn it down or crash a tram into it.”
