The Queen Vic’s windows are cracked and the walls are peeling. So run-down has the old place become that EastEnders are being evicted because the shabby sets do not meet the scrutiny of HighDefinition (HD) television.

The BBC is preparing to move Albert Square from the 16-acre Elstree studios in Borehamwood, Hertford-shire, which have formed the backdrop to the flagship soap since 1985. EastEnders is expected to share space with 007 at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, under proposals being recommended by BBC bosses.

The 28-mile move is required because, after more than 20 years, the Elstree sets are showing the wear and tear of Walford’s stormy history. Never designed as a permanent fixture, Albert Square has been patched up over the years, often in bursts of late-night activity. One operation involving scaffolding even had to be written into the script.

The effects of cut-price renovation jobs are all too clearly visible on HD. A source said: “You can see every crack, chipboard flake and Blu-Tack solution. HD also shows that the set isn’t built of real brick.”

A BBC memo to drama producers warns: “Using HD will highlight scenery defects such as repeat taping and painting over scenery flattage joins, knocks and damage, dirt and scuff marks. Knocks, scratches, general wear and tear are distinctly noticeable and need additional time and effort to rectify.” The memo says producers must add in the cost of “repairs and revamping scenery” at a time when BBC budgets are being cut.

The cost-effective solution for EastEnders is a move to a new brick and concrete-built set at Pinewood, allowing the Elstree studios to be sold. The hospital series Holby City, another Elstree drama, is also expected to move and show the benefits of an HD “deep clean”, along with Casualty.

The “warts and all” reality of HD, which enhances sports and natural history programmes, is unforgiving when it comes to close-ups. Cosmetic surgeons reported a surge in business from actors and newsreaders when the technology hit the high street.

The BBC launched its own HD channel last year to showcase programmes such as Planet Earth and Bleak House. All new programmes intended for international sale must be shot in HD to meet the demands of US broadcasters.

A research group, Screen Digest, forecasts that by the end of the year 11.3 million (40 per cent) of British homes will be equipped with HD-ready televisions, compared with the current 6.5 million homes.

Albert Square was designed by the late Keith Harris, the senior designer in the EastEnders production team. Extensions including a fictional Tube station have been added over the years. Executives are in talks with Pinewood Shepperton for about 200,000 sq ft (18,580 sq m) of studio space. Other sites in contention for Albert Square include Bristol, Cardiff and Belfast.

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