The sale of council-owned film studios in South Bristol will press ahead after councillors were told it was too late to consider alternatives. The Bottle Yard Studios is owned by Bristol City Council, for now, but could soon be bought by a private company.
Labour opposition councillors and Equity, a trade union representing the performing arts and entertainment industries, both urged the council to explore options such as a joint venture. A company could buy a stake in the studios, which would remain under public ownership.
But they were told a decision to find a buyer had already been made. Councillors on the cross-party strategy and resources policy committee voted to move to the next stage of the sale process on Monday, October 14.
Last month, the committee voted to find a buyer for the long-lease of the studios. But they delayed a decision on the final terms of the sale until this week, to allow for councillors to be privately briefed — after some missed previous briefings due to being on holiday.
Internal discussions about selling the studios began in November 2022, and staff directly employed by the council have been consulted. But freelancers working there have not been briefed about the sale. Alex Hearn, director of economy of place, said he had met with Equity.
But Equity representatives said there had been no engagement at all until Friday, October 11. Green Councillor Tony Dyer, leader of the council, also admitted he hadn’t met with Equity about the sale. The council is now planning to consult further with trade unions about the sale.
John Smith, executive director of growth and regeneration, said: “The project was initiated some time ago. Throughout there has been a balance between wanting to be transparent, as we always would in council business, and the need for a level of confidentiality around the future and impacting on the wider business, in terms of attracting bookings and that sort of thing.
“That’s why the consultation hasn’t been perhaps as wide as one might ideally have wanted. A decision was made to brief councillors on a confidential basis, but not to make it public at that stage because of the concern about the impact on the business.”
Another concern is what happens to the studio in the longer term, especially if there is a downturn in the industry. A 10-year deal will bind any potential buyer, and after that the council will keep an “element of control” over the site, as it will still own the freehold there, which could be used to block any future plans to turn the studios into a housing development.
Council bosses declined to comment during the public part of the meeting whether soft market testing, conducted in February and March, included looking at alternatives such as a joint venture or a company taking a stake in the studios. The committee later went into an exempt session, without members of the public present, for an hour to discuss confidential details.
A previous committee report about the sale claimed that the Bottle Yard Studios were the only council-owned ones in the country. Mr Hearn admitted this was actually false and apologised for the error, as Liverpool City Council also owns film studios.
Any money the council makes from selling the studios would not be invested back into the cultural sector, but instead likely used to fill the ballooning deficit in the general budget. Services like adult social care and looking after children in care homes are causing increased pressure.
Labour Cllr Ellie King said: “The former administration explored these options with officers, but by no means was any decision made. This is a decision for us to make, it hasn’t been made already. We need to take ownership and not say it was a decision of the former administration, because it wasn’t. It’s problematic if we don’t debate these issues as a committee.”
Labour Cllr Tim Rippington added: “We wanted to bring an amendment to say that in parallel to searching out for possible buyers, we would also continue to look at other options for ownership, to see whether those continue to be looked at. We weren’t allowed to bring that as an amendment.”
They were told the decision had already been made in September to find a buyer. But also a sale isn’t inevitable — there might be no bidders, or the offers aren’t acceptable. A final decision on selling the studios will come back to the strategy and resources committee for their approval.
At the September committee meeting, Labour councillors said they hadn’t been given enough information or time to come to a considered decision, and alternatives weren’t discussed. But the committee pressed ahead and voted to approve the decision to find a buyer anyway.
Speaking after the meeting, Equity representatives said they had mixed feelings but the promise to consult with trade unions was a “step in the right direction”. They urged council bosses to reconsider alternative ownership models, such as a joint venture.
Kim Hicks, chair of the Bristol branch, said: “Equity and the other trade unions will now be consulted, so that’s a big improvement. But it remains to be seen how that consultation is run and what notice is taken. Surely it’s common sense to look at all the options? An outside owner may be tied into London or elsewhere in the world, and may bring their staff from there instead of saying ‘we’re a local studio and we use local talent’.”
Ian Harris, vice-chair of the branch, added: “It’s disappointing that they’re not going to go back and consider any other options on ownership. It feels like the council has made a decision a long time ago that they were really only considering the one option, and that was a sale, and kept it quiet and under wraps. It’s being brought through at an unnecessary speed.
“There are a small number of core employees but then the vast number of people who come in and out of the studio are freelancers. Bristol is full of creative freelancers and it’s vital they have the opportunity to work at somewhere like the studios. It’s a frustrating process and it feels like people didn’t really know what they were voting in at the previous meeting.”
Cllr Dyer, the Green council leader, said the sale would allow the Bottle Yard Studios to expand, benefiting both the film and television industry and the wider city. A building next to the site has become available for the studios to expand into, but this requires a hefty investment.
He said: “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.
“Like all regeneration projects, a time will always come when it’s sensible for the local authority to seek options for enabling further growth to expand the benefits available to the city. The Bottle Yard Studios has hit that point and I’m pleased fellow councillors have agreed the time is right to start the process of sale. Our initial market testing is very positive and we’re confident in securing an agreement with a purchaser that benefits the studios, the sector and the city.”