Filming in Surrey countryside funding plan

Plans will be drawn up in the new year to harness the Surrey countryside in generating money.

Strategies suggested have included attracting sponsorship and increasing filming in the county.

Scenes for two Harry Potter films have been shot in Surrey and Shere village has featured in The Holiday and Bridget Jones - The Edge of Reason.

Other plans include selling Christmas trees, leasing catering pitches and developing nature-based holidays.

Surrey County Council (SCC) currently contributes £1m a year to Surrey Wildlife Trust (SWT) but both organisations have agreed to explore ways to make the countryside self-sufficient.

"Over the next 18 months we'll be looking and discussing all potential avenues in which we can create more commercial income to ensure we can balance the books," an SCC spokesman said.

That work will see a five-year business plan drawn up with the aim of achieving financial sustainability.

Under the plans to grow income through filming, SWT will carry out more marketing and develop its relationship with Film Surrey.

According to Film Surrey, film companies have worked on big American blockbusters, TV dramas, commercials and also photographic shoots in the county - which it described as "a destination of choice".

Source: Film Surrey