MP wants money from film shoot to be spent in town

An MP has called on a council to reinvest the money it received from a film production in the town where it was shot.

Hollywood stars including Kiefer Sutherland and Rebel Wilson descended on Knaresborough when filming for Christmas-themed production Tinsel Town took place in January and February.

Lib Dem MP Tom Gordon, whose constituency covers Knaresborough, said it would be "a slap in the face" for local residents if the £10,000 fee the council said it received was not spent locally.

North Yorkshire Council's executive member for culture, arts and housing, Simon Myers, said he was against "ringfencing" money.

Myers, who represents Mid Craven on the Conservative-led local authority, told a meeting of full council: "It would be very easy for everybody on this council to be very parochial and to demand that monies raised in their patch are only spent in their patch.

"Let's spent the money where there is the most need."

Myers told the meeting the council was paid "just over £10,000" by a production company for renting Conyngham Hall, Knaresborough Castle and some car parks in the town.

The issue had been raised by Lib Dem councillor Matthew Walker at the meeting last month.

He told the BBC Knaresborough residents had been "inconvenienced" by filming, adding: "The money should come to the town by way of compensation."

"There are so many worthy and necessary projects in the town that require investment – such as Conyngham Hall car park, Knaresborough Castle or the toilets on Waterside."

The North Yorkshire Lib Dems have started a petition calling on the leader of North Yorkshire Council, Carl Les, to ensure the "windfall" is spent in Knaresborough.

It is understood the petition has yet to be submitted to the council, who have not commented.

Gordon told the BBC Knaresborough was being "overlooked" and called on the council "to do the right thing and ensure this funding stays where it belongs".

In response to Walker's question, Myers told the meeting a £17.5m leisure centre had recently been built in Knaresborough, while Ryedale "hasn't had a bean spent [there] in years".

He added: "Should the residents of North Yorkshire subsidise your gold standard in Knaresborough while people in Ryedale can't get decent facilities?

"Let's not go down the path of being parochial even though it may play to our electorate."

A North Yorkshire Council spokesperson said it received £4,600 from the hiring out of Conyngham Hall and parking fees, which would go towards running the authority's car parks "and other priorities".

They said the authority received £5,800 for filming around Knaresborough Castle and Knaresborough House's grounds.

This would be invested into the council's parks and grounds fund, they added.

Tinsel Town, which also features Danny Dyer and comedian Jason Manford, will be released later this year.

It tells the story of a washed-up Hollywood actor hoping to boost his career by starring in a pantomime in the north of England.

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