• Swindon & Wiltshire Culture
• Monday December 9 2024
• Author Name: Peter Davison

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

Film and TV productions shot on location in Bristol or at The Bottle Yard Studios generated an estimated £30 million towards Bristol’s economy in the 2023-24 financial year, according to the Bristol Film Office – almost 50 per cent more than the previous year.

Big productions included the Disney+ adaptation of Jilly Cooper’s Rivals novels, and the third season of Stephen Merchant’s Bristol-based comedy drama The Outlaws, which aired on BBC 1 in May.

Upcoming releases include comedy drama The Road Trip and Nordic noir The Crow Girl for Paramount+.

Filming locations have included Aerospace Bristol and Bristol Harbour Hotel for Rivals, The Georgian House Museum, which featured in ITV’s Sanditon, and St Werburgh’s Farm, which featured in The Outlaws.

In all, 32 major productions were assisted by Bristol Film Office and/or The Bottle Yard Studios throughout the reporting period, of which nine were feature films and 23 were high-end TV productions.

Altogether 730 filming days were supported in the studio and on location. Nearly 600 licenses were issued by Bristol Film Office, permitting filming to take place on council-owned streets, properties and green spaces.

Laura Avilles, head of film at Bristol City Council, said: “These new figures show that not only is the city’s film sector continuing to perform well, it is also worth more to Bristol’s economy than previously thought.

“The fact that filming supported by the Studio and Film Office generated an estimated £30 million for Bristol’s economy in 2023-24, a strike year, is an incredible achievement.

“These figures underline how Bristol has continued to push forward its reputation as a trusted home for high calibre scripted productions, such as Rivals, The Outlaws and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.

“By supporting filming, we are creating direct benefits for the local economy and with our studio hub, supportive Film Office and skilled crew and companies, we hope to continue that momentum in the year ahead.”

In October the city council agreed to sell The Bottle Yard Studios to a private operator. The council said that under private ownership the West’s largest film studio, which opened in 2010, could create more jobs and create even more economic value.

Pictured: Rivals, episode 7 (image courtesy Disney+)