• Swindon & Wiltshire Property
• Thursday October 17 2024
• Author Name: Peter Davison

Bristol City Council agrees to sell film and TV studio

Councillors in Bristol have agreed to sell The Bottle Yard Studios, the largest film and TV production facility in the West of England.

At a meeting of the council’s strategy and resources policy committee on Monday, members voted six to three in favour of officer recommendations to retain the freehold of the site but negotiate a deal with a preferred bidder for the long leasehold interest.

Councillors accepted an amendment to the officer recommendations to ensure that the final decision on sale would be considered by the committee at a later date.

The facility – which has been a production location for hit TV series including The Outlawns, Wolf Hall, Poldark, and Broadchurch – is recognised as a cornerstone of Bristol’s UNESCO City of Film designation.

From its establishment in 2010, and following over a decade of steady growth and investment – which included the studios’ expansion in 2022 – the facility now stands as a key piece of national film & TV production infrastructure with a global reach.

Bristol has developed into one of the most filmed cities in the UK since the opening of the Studios and its close partnership work with the Bristol Film Office ensures that locations across the city regularly feature in primetime TV shows and feature films.

Latest figures from Bristol Film Office show that film and High-End TV production at The Bottle Yard Studios and on location in Bristol is now worth more than £20 million per year to Bristol’s economy.

The studios are currently owned by Bristol City Council, which – along with the West of England Combined Authority and a number of other organisations – has maintained steady investment into the facility since opening.

Councillor Tony Dyer, leader of Bristol City Council and chair of the strategy and resources policy committee, said: “The vote is an important one for not only the city’s Film and TV industry but for the sector across the region and further afield.

“The Bottle Yard Studios has been one of the most prominent drivers in the international success of our local industry and a catalyst for new jobs and opportunity along the sector supply chain.

“Bristol’s place on the international Film and TV map is firmly established and the benefits to the local economy are writ large.

“The discussion we’ve had with officers and my fellow committee members has identified that despite the studios’ success, the current ownership model means it has hit a glass ceiling.

“As the only local authority-managed production studio in the country, certain opportunities are beyond the facility meaning the brakes are gently squeezed on the potential economic, social and reputational value The Bottle Yard Studios could deliver for the city.

“It’s clear that by unlocking the potential of private investment, that potential has a greater chance of being realised and the opportunity for more jobs, economic returns for the city, and bigger and larger Bristol productions appearing on our screens.

“Each member of the committee is aware of some concerns raised about the move towards selling the long leasehold and I welcome the opportunity afforded to us to air these thoughts and discuss each with officers.

“Today’s meeting is the culmination of nearly two years’ work to explore the options for growing the studios and delivering greater benefits to the regional sector and the city.

“Officers have kept directly employed staff informed of the proposals and engaged with the unions representing this group.

“Now we are able to move forward, officers have been instructed to pursue negotiating a deal that secures the long term future of The Bottle Yard Studios as a film and TV studios for the region.”

Latest: Film & TV production at Bottle Yard Studios added £30 million to Bristol economy last year