Coronation Street moving to Salford Quays

ITV has confirmed that Coronation Street will be moving to a new complex in 2012.

It has finally been confirmed after months of speculation that the production of Coronation Street will be moving to Salford Quays, which is home to the MediaCity UK complex due to open next year. ITV reached a deal with Peel Media, the developers of MediaCity UK to relocate from their current home of Granada Television’s Quay Street studios.

Other programmes made at Quay Street include The Jeremy Kyle Show and Channel 4’s Countdown. It is not known yet where these programmes will be produced in the future. The move to Salford will be subject to planning consent from Trafford council.

Coronation Street will be given a dedicated complex including specialist production facilities, offices and two sound stage buildings. The soap celebrated its 50th birthday last week with a tram crash rocking the street.

ITV Chief Executive Adam Crozier said of the news;

“It’s terrific news for ITV and all of our people based in Manchester that we have agreed this deal with Peel Media. This continues our long and successful relationship with the region which has played such a key part in ITV’s heritage as a programme maker.”

A large chunk of BBC operations will be moving to MediaCity UK next year, including BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Breakfast, as the closure of BBC Television Centre in London gets underway. Pictured top; The Granada Studios in Manchester, which opened in 1956 for Granada Television. Corrie has been produced at the site since 1960.