Bristol’s Bottle Yard Studios sale halted indefinitely

The proposed sale of the leasehold of Bristol’s Bottle Yard Studios has been halted, its owner Bristol City Council has confirmed.

Productions to shoot at Bottle Yard across the past year include Netflix’s Agatha Christie thriller The Seven Dials Mystery, Jonatan Etzler’s upcoming Toronto world premiere Bad Apples starring Saoirse Ronan and series two of Daisy-May Cooper BBC comedy series Am I Being Unreasonable.

In October 2024, the council approved plans to put the leasehold up for sale on a 10-year term, to “unlock greater investment opportunities, which cannot be pursued under council ownership”.

A preferred bidder was identified and for the past three months the council had entered an exclusivity period to allow for detailed negotiations and the drawing up of fuller proposals for the potential sale. The council declined to confirm the identity of the bidder.

“Despite giving this process time and the expertise required, it has not been possible to conclude an agreement for the sale of the leasehold of the studios,” said a statement from the council. The council refused to confirm what exactly had kiboshed the sale negotiations.

Alternative options to sale of the leasehold are now being considered, including for the council to raise the funds required to meet the investment needed at the studios. A figure for the investment required will emerge as part of the assessment of options. As it stands, Bottle Yard remains open for business. 

“In the absence of an agreement being reached I have asked that officers conduct a further appraisal of the options for maximising the value and benefits of the studios before returning to our committee with further recommendations,” said Tony Dyer, chair of the strategy and resources committee at Bristol City Council.

“We entered into this process with the objective of securing a sustainable future for the studios and the opportunity to grow into its huge potential. Those aims remain the same as does our determination to ensure that one of our city’s most successful regeneration projects continues an upward trajectory to deliver more jobs and more investment for Bristol.”

Equity concerns 

Equity welcomed today’s news of the sale’s pause. The UK performing arts and entertainment trade union vocally opposed the council’s planned sale of leasehold, expressing fears that in private hands, the studios could be scrapped as a film and TV facility. Back in October, Equity also criticised a ”lack of transparency and engagement with all stakeholders in the sector, and the total exclusion of the mostly freelance workforce who rely on a thriving creative sector in the city for their livelihoods”.

Equity’s south west area councillor Rachael Fagan said of today’s update: “Had regular and meaningful consultation with freelance creative workers and their union taken place, I believe this painful process could have been avoided. I encourage the council to explore previously dismissed options for Bottle Yard Studios, which prioritise public ownership, ensuring value for money for Bristol residents.

“Equity is looking forward to working with the council to explore other options to secure a sustainable future for the studios, ensuring that freelancers both on and off screen are a part of the decision-making process at every step of the way.”

Bottle Yard first opened in 2010 and underwent a £12m expansion in 2022. Latest figures from Bristol Film Office show that film and high end TV production at The Bottle Yard Studios and on location in Bristol was worth more than £46m per year to Bristol’s economy last year. This marks a 55% increase in the positive economic impact compared to the previous 12 months.

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