Harry Potter bosses have promised to build a forest – in return for being allowed to film their new TV series in William and Kate’s garden.
Filming has been kept tightly under wraps for months at Windsor Great Park close to Forest Lodge, which is soon to be the home of the Prince and Princess of Wales.
The production company behind the new Hogwarts show, For All Time Productions Ltd, submitted a planning application to the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead earlier this year to set up a temporary set in the royal grounds.
But a number of issues were raised by council departments regarding drainage, flooding, protecting historic trees and ensuring the safety of any nesting birds or roosting bats.
Filming had been due to start in January, but to overcome these hitches it was delayed by six months.
A £4million set has now been built in the royal gardens – complete with a replica of Hogsmeade Station and half a mile of track where the Hogwarts Express has been seen steaming through.
The planning application was supported by the Crown Estate, which owns the land.
Planning documents revealed that all parties recognised ‘the proposal will result in some negative impact on its setting, introducing a form of development that is not in keeping with the natural landscape’ since it is within a strict conservation area and on Green Belt land.
The Home Office is to create a 150 acre exclusion zone around Forest Lodge (pictured), the eight-bedroom mansion set to be home to the Prince and Princess of Wales
Forest Lodge is a considerable upgrade from the cosy four-bedroom Adelaide Cottage, which has been home to the royal couple during challenging times, including Kate and the King’s cancer diagnoses and the death of Queen Elizabeth II
Prince William and Princess Kate are set to move their family from Adelaide Cottage and make Forest Lodge their new ‘forever home’ by the end of the year
So for the production to meet the requirement of biodiversity net gain, ‘bespoke compensation’ has been agreed to convert arable land to wood pasture and parkland in an off-site location – Kate and William’s ‘Poet’s Lawn’.
This will mean creating a forest-like area of trees, grassland and shrubs to foster high biodiversity.
The planning application also revealed the sheer size of the TV operation, where it lists the huge amount of trucks and equipment that will be used during filming.
The numbers include 150-300 crew cars, 15-20 prep techs, 30 shoot techs, 15 mini buses, 20 unit cars.
Plus the tech trucks which include Luton vans, 18 tonne trucks, pick ups & trailers, gaitors & trailers, Manitous (moving equipment), fork lifts, Genie Booms, scissor lifts, and transporter flat beds.
And for the filming itself, there will be tele handlers, fork lifts, scissor lifts, Genie Booms, a crane, a Dolly (trailer), a track, a Steadicam, a U-Crane, a drone, a mobile lighting vehicle, lighting generators, ‘artistic vehicles to aid filming’, and ‘trailers and trucks to be parked in the service area’.
Despite the daunting numbers, the application had the full backing of the Crown Estate, with Nicholas Day, head of engagement and events, writing a supporting letter to the council.
He wrote: ‘On an ecology and tree management front, we employ in house the best experts in these fields, who have been heavily involved in discussions and planning with the film company to ensure that no ecological risks are created, and no harm is caused.
Dominic McLaughlin (centre), Arabella Stanton (left) and Alastair Stout (right) are to play Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley in HBO’s new TV series version of Harry Potter
Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint (pictured aged 11, left to right, in 2000) were the original cast who brought the magic of Hogwarts to life 25 years ago
‘We have worked with the location management team from For All-time Productions Limited over a lengthy period, informing them of any concerns that we may have had with their early plans, enabling them to change, at our insistence, any small details to negate any concerns that we have.
‘Our in-house Biodiversity and Conservation Manager, formally a senior employee of Natural England, has had total involvement in the discussions and decision-making process.
‘That same manager will, throughout the production period, be observing on site throughout the production period, to ensure that every necessary procedure and policy is observed.
‘The locations, both for the set and the tech base have been carefully selected to ensure that this temporary activity does not impact in a negative way.’
Kate and William even went to see the set for themselves with their three children in tow last week.
On Friday night Kate took Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis for a spellbinding visit where they met the cast, which includes Dominic McLaughlin, 11, who is portraying young wizard Harry.
The family even to got watch some scenes be recorded in what would have been a magical evening for the young royals – who are apparently huge fans of the movies.
And Prince Louis, seven, had an extra special time as he hopped on the Hogwarts Express for a short ride along the half a mile of track that has been erected there and runs through the woodland, about a mile to the rear of the Waleses’ new home.
One on set source told The Mail on Sunday: ‘It was so special, Kate and the children met the young actors and the director on the set. There was only one night of filming there so it really was a magical ticket.
The couple who previously occupied the Windsor mansion can now be revealed as Alex Fitzgibbons (above, left) and his glamorous Swedish-American wife Cristina Stenbeck (above, right)
‘And as for Louis, he got the chance to ride on the train with the driver. He seemed to absolutely love it. It’s the dream for most children to step aboard the Hogwarts Express.’
Earlier in the week Kate and William had taken the children to have a peek at the £4million set which was built in Windsor, Berkshire, to replicate the Scottish Highlands where Harry Potter creator JK Rowling set her series of books.
It is understood that they were then invited to return to watch live filming on Friday.
Work is also currently underway on William and Kate’s new ‘ring of steel’ – a fenced off 150-acre no-go zone around their new forever home, Forest Lodge.
The Prince and Princess of Wales imposed the 2.3-mile personal exclusion area around Forest Lodge to keep William, Kate and their three children safe.
It is understood that those who venture past the ‘no trespassing’ signs will face immediate arrest.
Home Office plans mean the estate will be getting the latest CCTV equipment. In addition, the area around Forest Lodge is set to become a designated property under the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act (SOCPA) 2005.
The previous tenants of Forest Lodge were society party fixer Alex Fitzgibbons, 53, and his glamorous Swedish-American wife Cristina Stenbeck.
And it’s understood that Mr Fitzgibbons – who is extremely well connected – decided to move out after hearing rumours that his home might be taken back by his landlords.
A local source told us: ‘Alex and Cristina were there for three years and were very happy but I gather that in the run-up to the time when the lease was coming up for renewal he heard suggestions that the Royal Family had other plans for the house.
‘So he decided to leap before he was pushed, as it were – and to make alternative plans.’
The source added: ‘They have now found somewhere else to live in London and appreciate that’s how things go.
‘It made sense for Alex as his business is in town and Cristina is flitting between England and Sweden all the time.’
