The landlord of Bristol’s Motion nightclub building has said it would “welcome a viable bid” from the music and events company for the property following news the premises has been put up for sale.
The statement follows an announcement earlier this week by the club, which warned the premises could be at risk of closure when its lease expires next July.
Motion – a Grade II listed industrial warehouse that has been hosting gigs since 2006 – said on Facebook it was “devoted to preserving” the space and appealed to the community to “stand with us”.
But the company that owns the Avon Street property has hit back, claiming it has been liaising with Motion Events on plans for the site since 2019 – and had given the club’s owners the opportunity to put forward an offer for the building.
In a statement on Friday, the landlord said: “74-78 Avon Street is not owned by a professional landlord or developer, this is their only commercial property asset, and they have decided that the time is right for them to sell, as the existing lease expires.
“There have been some reports that a bid from Motion Events Ltd has been refused. Motion Events Ltd has in the past expressed an interest but, despite a number of requests over an 18-month period, have not provided a funding plan to support its viability. This remains the case today. As the owners have stated before, they would welcome a viable bid from Motion Events.
“While we understand that Motion Events may have entered into a pre-application process with Bristol City Council, this is only relevant to their own business plans and is not relevant to the site and it’s separate development potential. It has also been reported that Motion Events Ltd could only purchase the property if it was ‘not used as a going concern’. This has not been discussed with the vendors at any point.”
Motion has been dubbed one of the UK’s best clubs and has hosted major music acts such as The Chemical Brothers, Chase & Status and Mr Scruff. It has also been used for theatrical productions, festivals, and private, sporting and corporate events.
It is understood the premises has been put up for sale because the company that owns it does “not have the expertise or resources” to invest in the site’s development in line with regeneration plans taking place in the surrounding area.
According to a statement on the Avon Street website, the future use of the property will be determined by the the new owners.
It said: “Once the use of the site is proposed, further assessment of the community impact would be anticipated and would be the responsibility of that third party. The landowner is committed to a transparent and fair marketing process, allowing the new owners to align the site’s future with community and wider city goals whilst meeting their own business requirements.”