Coronation Street has revealed the Weatherfield Precinct will be added to the soap set.
This week Coronation Street has moved to hour long episodes at an 8pm timeslot on ITV.
Now the popular soap has also unveiled plans for an ambitious new exterior set build: the Weatherfield Precinct.
The impressive new two-storey construction will feature maisonettes and a staircase as well as a balcony leading to the properties.
It will also have a piazza and a series of accessible local shops and units.
It therefore means a huge extension to the set which is based on the show’s 7.7 acre site in Trafford.
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The precinct is the vision of Product Designer, Rosie Mullins-Hoyle.
The development will begin construction this week and will take six months to complete. The programme’s cast and crew will then begin filming exciting new storylines.
Coronation Street reveals huge set expansion
Rosie said: “We are extremely excited to be starting to build Weatherfield Precinct this week after a year of technical drawings, model making, visualising and planning.
“An incredible amount of research has been carried out focusing on the 1960s local architecture.
“We are striving to create an authentic area of Weatherfield with a grittier vibe of the existing Coronation Street we know and love.
“The build is being led by myself and Construction Manager Keith Eccleson.
“It is a fantastic opportunity to use some of the amazing behind the scenes talents we have on the show. Bespoke joinery, scenic art work, graphic design and set dressing skills will all be involved.”
Rosie also teased that viewers will meet new characters. They will live in maisonettes and run the businesses in the precinct.
She continued: “I cannot wait to meet the characters that may call it home and see the businesses that will be created.”
I cannot wait to meet the characters that may call it home and see the businesses that will be created.
She continued: “The precinct has often cropped up in the soap’s dialogue with character’s heading off to the parade of shops.
“The new set will afford scriptwriters the chance to make the most of the show’s broadening horizons. [It will] create opportunities to explore storylines beyond the cobbles of Coronation Street.”
Iain MacLeod talks about the Weatherfield precinct
Coronation Street producer Iain MacLeod said: “The fabled Weatherfield Precinct has been much discussed, but little seen on the show in our 61 years.
“I am really excited to be expanding the Coronation Street universe.
“The plans for the shopping area are drawn directly from the real-world Salford environs that inspired the show’s creator Tony Warren. [They] exemplify the authenticity and ambition we still prize as we move to hour-long episodes this week.”
John Whiston, Managing Director, Continuing Drama and Head of ITV in the North also spoke about the new set.
“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.
“It’s a testament to the confidence ITV has in the show that it is investing so much in our future.
He also hinted that there could be a disaster taking place at the precinct in the future.
“Mind you I guess it won’t be long before we blow it up, burn it down or crash a tram into it.”
What do you think of the new precinct design?
Read more: Coronation Street: Who was Becky McDonald? Who played her? Is she coming back?
Want more spoilers from Coronation Street? Entertainment Daily has a dedicated Coronation Street spoilers section for you to get your fix before the latest episodes air.
Coronation Street airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm for an hour.
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