BBC to increase production outside London

Last night Jana Bennett, Director of BBC Vision, gave a speech to the Royal Television Society in which she outlined plans to increase spending on network programming outside London by 50% by 2016.

As the accompanying press release states:

Subject to final funding approval, the out of London plan aims to build vibrant in-house production centres of excellence in seven existing BBC locations in the UK: Glasgow, Cardiff, Belfast, London, Bristol, Salford/Manchester and Birmingham.

Casualty is the highest profile drama being considered for a move. Bennett said:

Casualty is a key part of our thinking. This series is currently produced in Bristol but will require new accommodation in the near future and is likely to move. Strategically, we believe that moving Casualty will play a significant part in fulfilling our commitment to building a creatively and economically sustainable centre of excellence for drama in Wales.