FILMING IN HACKNEY

Hackney is one of London’s most vibrant and distinctive boroughs, as well as one of its most popular destinations for filming and photography. From the bustling creativity of our town centres, to our striking residential areas and award-winning green spaces, we offer a diverse range of locations to help bring your project to life.

Whether you require permission to film at a council-owned location or are navigating shooting on private land, explore below to discover how we can assist you in delivering your next project in Hackney.

Find your location

If you are searching for the ideal location to realise your vision in Hackney, start by exploring our brand new location library.

Check our charges and lead times

Whether you are planning to shoot on street, at a council-owned location or utilise council services for a private location, it is essential to be aware of the applicable fees, charges and lead times. Click here to learn more about what you will need to consider before applying to film.

Submit your filming application

Before applying for any other council services, you will need to submit a filming application through our FilmApp system. Click the ‘Apply to Film’ button below to start the process.

Apply to Film

Apply for parking services

If you need to suspend parking bays, you must allow a minimum of 8 clear working days from submitting your parking application to the first date of your shoot. You can apply for suspensions by sending a completed suspension form, a map of the required bays, and your FilmApp reference to screen@hackney.gov.uk.

If you do not have sufficient lead time for suspensions or have multiple shoot locations on the same day, you can apply for Film Vouchers. These vouchers allow productions to park in available pay and display, shared use and resident bays, as well as on a single yellow line. To apply for Film Vouchers, please contact us.

Apply for highway restrictions

If you need to work on the road or anticipate that your shoot will obstruct a footway, you must apply for some form of highway restriction.

The first step is to contact us. Once you have discussed your plans with us and if you have the minimum 4-week lead time required, you can apply for a road or footway closure by submitting a completed form, along with your accredited traffic management company’s TM plan, RAMS and your FilmApp reference to screen@hackney.gov.uk.

Whenever possible, we aim to minimise road and footway closures and promote the use of STOP/GO traffic management.

FAQs

  • You must obtain a filming licence in the following situations:

    • Filming on street with a cast and crew of 5 or more

    • Filming that obstructs the highway, irrespective of cast and crew size

    • Filming in any council-owned location

    • Filming contentious subject matter on public land, irrespective of cast and crew size. Please refer to the section below on notifying the police for further details.

    Council-owned locations include:

    • Public squares

    • Pedestrianised areas

    • Parks

    • Markets

    • Estates

    • Leisure facilities

    • Libraries

    • Venues

    • Community halls

    • All other council-owned property

    You should always inform us if you plan to film on the public highway, even if your cast and crew consists of 5 or fewer people. Productions of this size can still apply for a Notice of No Objection from us. Please see the section on filming costs below for administrative fees.

  • You can find detailed information about our fees, charges and lead times for essential council services here.

  • The processing time for applications varies depending on the specifics of your project. You can find the minimum lead time required for council services such as parking, temporary structure licences, traffic management and road closures here.

    For more details on the lead time required for your filming application, please do contact us.

  • If you're planning a shoot on private property in Hackney, it’s important to inform us. We'll work with you to determine the best approach for your shoot, provide important location-specific information, and help you communicate your intentions effectively to the local community.

  • You must notify the Metropolitan Police Film Unit if your filming involves any of the following:

    • Potential public safety concerns

    • Reenactment of a crime visible from a public place

    • Use of weapons, both real or props, visible or audible from a public place

    • Nudity, simulated nudity or partial nudity visible from a public place

    • Liveried emergency vehicles or actors in police or military uniform

    • Filming involving moving action vehicles, low-loaders or tracking shots taking place on public roads

  • Filming with an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), commonly known as a drone, is permitted provided the operator possesses the requisite permissions from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and holds public liability insurance covering drone operations for commercial purposes, with a minimum coverage of £10 million. Additionally, finding a suitable location is essential. Please contact us to discuss specific requests.

  • We’re here to assist residents and businesses affected by filming in their area. For further information about the filming happening near you, please contact us directly.