Neighbours of a disused Brighton night club have been told not to be scared when it doubles as a bomb factory next month.
People living near the former Popworld night club, in West Street, received a letter this week announcing plans to film scenes for the fifth series of the police drama Grace for ITV.
The letter said that filming would take place at 59 West Street, also known as the Academy Building, over two days – Tuesday 7 May and Wednesday 8 May – from 8am to 6pm each day.
It also warned that smoke might be seen coming from the building during the Wednesday filming session which would show the premises as a fake bomb factory.
It said: “We are advising residents in the area not to be alarmed or contact emergency services if they see smoke from the building.
“The local fire department is aware of this and will have a fire truck present in Boyce’s Street for health and safety reasons.”
While ITV assured residents that efforts would be made to minimise disruption, the shooting will probably disrupt parking and pedestrian access in the area.
The letter mentioned plans to park essential technical vehicles in the area, acknowledging the limited parking space and offering assistance to address residents’ worries.
It said: “We appreciate that parking is limited in the area so if you do have any worries, please get in touch and we’ll do our best to find a solution.”
The office building at 59 West Street was previously home to Popworld which occupied its basement, ground and first floors.
In December 2022, Popworld moved to Walkabout, at 79 West Street.
The developer Matsim – the company behind the restoration of the Hippodrome in Middle Street – applied last year to put a new facade on the building and an extra floor on top.
But the plans were turned down because of the scale of the building and the potential impact of future noise complaints on the nearby Oculist Bar.
Before it became a night club, the building was home to the Academy Picture Palace and before that was used as a Turkish bath.
I’m not usually opposed to Americanisms, but “fire truck?” I’m not going to insist on “appliance” but at the very least it should be “fire engine!”
The best story so far of 2024…love BnHN
Sadly, I’ve not read the books, but followed the tv series. I loved the last one, particularly because the characters just gelled, and really came into their own. Brilliant series! It’s not just because it’s in Brighton.