Next step in sale of council-owned film studios in South Bristol after holiday delays

A trade union is raising concerns about the potential sale

The proposed sale of a council-owned film studios in South Bristol could reach its next step after delays due to councillors being on holiday. Bristol City Council is considering the sale of the leasehold of Bottle Yard Studios, partly to allow the firm to expand.

The Bottle Yard Studios on Whitchurch Lane in Hengrove opened in 2010 in a former winery and bottling plant. The studios have hosted productions such as the Outlaws, Poldark and Broadchurch, but now need “significant investment” to grow, which the council can’t afford.

Councillors on the strategy and resources policy committee will be asked to give council bosses permission on Monday, October 14, to settle the terms of a proposed sale. This was delayed from the committee’s previous meeting in September, after a row about access to information.

A private briefing was scheduled for committee members in July, but then cancelled. A second briefing was then scheduled for August, which Labour councillors missed as they were on annual leave.

Labour Councillor Ellie King also said she was only given exempt financial information a few hours before the September meeting. This meant the committee agreed to find a buyer for the studios, but delayed a decision on the terms of the sale to allow for another private briefing.

After the September meeting, Green Councillor Tony Dyer, leader of the council, said: “Significant investment is needed for the business to continue to thrive, which is something that unfortunately we cannot provide given the state of the finances we have inherited.

“We do not believe that the public wants the council to go into the film industry and compete with already established studios without the necessary funding to compete effectively. They want us to focus on getting the basics right.”

The Bottle Yard Studios has 11 stages, and has also received investment from the West of England Combined Authority. The studios are the only ones owned by a council in the country, but have been credited with strengthening Bristol’s reputation as a hub for film-making and TV.

According to a committee report, an adjacent building is becoming available which the studios could expand into. “Major production investment funds and streaming platforms” are also looking to invest in the UK, which influenced the decision to find a buyer.

Equity — the trade union representing professional performers and creative practitioners whose work will be impacted by a sale — is concerned that unions have not been consulted or asked to be involved in any decision-making process regarding the matter.

Rachael Fagan, a Bristol-based actress and Equity member, says: “Equity would like an open and collaborative relationship with Bristol City Council, and for them to consider the opinions of those who work in the South West’s film and TV industry. In any other sector, the workforce — via their trade union — would be consulted before the proposal of a decision such as this. Just because we are creatives and freelancers does not mean this should not apply to us.

“While selling the lease for Bottle Yard Studios will allow Bristol City Council to make money in the short term, in the longer term they will not be able to control how the studio functions to benefit the local workforce and community, and they will miss out on the income it generates. The decision to privatise the studio must be scrutinised, while all options for investment must be fully considered.”