YATE’S Road to Nowhere has chalked up another credit as a TV location, in the BBC comedy drama Boarders.
The 400m road at Yate Common, between Westerleigh Road, Rodford Way and the railway, was started in the 1970s.
It was meant to link with Culvert Avenue on the Badminton Road trading estate, but was never completed.
Now it is promoted by South Gloucestershire Council as a filming location and its latest appearance is in the second series of the popular comedy drama Boarders.
Boarders, which is being screened on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer was created and written by BAFTA-nominated actor Daniel Lawrence Taylor, who also co-stars in the series as Gus.
Interior sets for the characters’ London homes were built at The Bottle Yard Studios in Bristol, and there are several sites in the city, including Clifton and the Dove Street estate in Kingsdown, which are used.
Filming also took place at Badminton House Grounds and Badminton village, Berwick Lodge near Cribbs Causeway, and Brean Leisure Park in Somerset.
Road used in 15 shoots over five years
A council spokesperson said: “In the last five years we have approved 15 permits for filming at the location.”
“Any production company can apply via an application found on the South Gloucestershire Council website.
“They are required to hold all the necessary Public Liability insurances and carry out risk assessments. As common land they are also required to manage the security of the site.”
The money generated from site filming fees and administration is being ploughed back into the local economy and is used to “maintain our Common Open Spaces”, said the spokesperson.
The most famous scene filmed on the road was a huge petrol tanker explosion filmed for BBC One drama Casualty in 2018.
The following year the then council leader Toby Savage unveiled a study into a new road that would finally connect the dual carriageway to the network but plans were later dropped.
Around 90 people worked on Boarders per day, and over 70% of the crew were local to the region.
Executive producer Madeleine Sinclair said: “The Studios and Film Office were very accommodating and helped facilitate the shoot in every way possible.
“Bristol is an incredible place to film, and we were very pleased to engage with the skills work at the (Bottle Yard) Studio to bring forward local crew talent. We always try to offer as many local opportunities as possible.”
Picture: Aruna Jalloh and Michael Salami in a scene filmed on the Road to Nowhere for Boarders. Photo: BBC