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Chelmsford: Shire Hall used for true-crime documentary film

Peter Walker and Piers MeylerBBC News and Local Democracy Reporting Service
News imageGeograph/John Sutton Shire Hall, ChelmsfordGeograph/John Sutton
Construction work outside Shire Hall was paused during the filming

A former magistrates' court in Essex has been recently used for the filming of a true-crime documentary series.

Shire Hall in Chelmsford has been empty since 2012.

Construction work on the pedestrianisation of Tindal Square, immediately outside the building, was paused for six weeks from 24 April to prevent noise interrupting the filming.

The BBC understands a crew was filming courtroom scenes to re-enact a high-profile case for a Channel 4 series.

A spokesman for Essex County Council, which owns the building, said the local authority and Chelmsford City Council were "delighted" to "enable one of the city's most historic and iconic buildings to be used" for the filming.

News imageChelmsford Civic Society Shire Hall, ChelmsfordChelmsford Civic Society
A proposal to turn the building into offices and shops was refused last year

The Grade II listed Georgian building, which was built in 1791, closed after a new magistrates' court was opened in nearby New Street.

About £900,000 has been spent on heating and maintenance bills for the empty building since 2012.

A planning application, proposing to reopen Shire Hall as shops and offices, was refused by Chelmsford City Council in July 2022.

The two criminal courts in the building remain largely untouched, with its docks and benches still in situ, and with cells still in the basement.

The county council last year appointed a film officer to attract production companies to Essex.

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