The leader of St Albans District Council has welcomed the recent announcement that Royal Assent has been given to Hertfordshire County Council’s Filming on the Highways, making it a law.

On Thursday, January 30, the county council’s Filming on the Highways Act 2014 was passed, which means location filming will now be easier in the county.

Until now, getting a road closure in Hertfordshire for filming often proved a complex and lengthy process and in some cases not possible at all because of legal constraints.

The act will simplify the process for production companies and help them accurately plan their filming schedules. It will enable the council to close roads temporarily for filming and to issue permissions to place filming equipment on the highway for short periods of time, with consideration always being given to traffic pressures and the needs of local residents and businesses.

Councillor Julian Daly, council leader said: "The council is keen to work with film production companies to make filming in the district as easy as possible. Location filming benefits the local economy by generating income for businesses, property owners and retailers.

"Cast and crew spend money in the locality and visitors come to the district in search of the TV and feature film locations. We therefore backed the Filming on the Highways Act 2014 with Hertfordshire County Council, other district and borough councils, and Elstree Studios.

"This Act will make it easier for production companies to film in the District by cutting out red tape and shortening the lengthy process for road closures. Just in the last year or so, scenes have been shot in the district for the feature film The World’s End, ITV’s period drama Breathless, BBC’s Silent Witness, Channel 4’s Man Down and More Than and National Lottery commercials."