Bristol City Council considers selling Bottle Yard Studios

Advisors will consider selling studios to open up investment opportunities

Bottle Yard Studios An aerial view of Bottle Yard Studios which has solar panels all over the roof and about 15 white production trailers to the left of it — Advisors will consider selling studios to open up investment opportunities

The future of the West of England’s largest film and television studio is expected to be discussed at a later meeting.

Bristol City Council, which owns Bottle Yard Studios in Hengrove, is exploring options including selling the site.

The Bottle Yard has produced films including Sherlock, The Outlaws and Poldark since its inception 14 years ago.

Councillors are being asked to consider finding a buyer for the studios to attract “greater investment opportunities that cannot be exploited under council ownership”. The meeting will be held at 2pm BST on Monday.

The studio already has reservations for 2026

Bottle Yard Studios Inside the main studio at Bottle Yard Studio - a large, empty warehouse-style room with black walls and ceiling — The studio already has reservations for 2026

Council leader Tony Dyer said that due to a change in the industry “and a shift in studio ownership models across the country”, it was time to consider “the best future direction for the facility”.

Film and TV production is worth around £20 million to Bristol’s economy, with Bottle Yard Studios, which was expanded in 2022, seen as a key facility for domestic productions with global reach.

The programmes, including the award-winning Sherlock, were produced by The Bottle Yard Studios

Getty Images Benedict Cumberbatch dressed as Sherlock Holmes rides in a carriage, surrounded by two other men, both in black — The programmes, including the award-winning Sherlock, were produced by The Bottle Yard Studios

The council, along with the West of England Combined Authority and several other organisations, have invested in the studio since it opened in 2010.

Mr Dyer said the facility began as a “regeneration project to drive economic and social benefits” and the studios had returned their investment “many times over” by creating hundreds of jobs and generating millions of pounds.

“What my colleagues and I want to do now in the committee is look at how we can increase investment and deliver the most for Bristol,” he added.

The Bottle Yard Studios The sign outside the entrance to the studios. It says The Bottle Yard Studios, You're in, this way and has an arrow pointing inwards — Bottle Yard Studios opened in 2010

Laura Aviles, head of film at Bristol City Council, which oversees the studios, said she was pleased the studio’s future was being “put at the top of the agenda” by council leaders.

“There is absolutely no doubt that the studios have had a transformative effect on the film and television industry in Bristol and the west,” she said.

Ms Aviles said that since the expansion, her reputation had been “further strengthened among leading UK and US producers, commissioners and streamers”.

“I want to make sure The Bottle Yard continues to realise its full potential in the future,” she added.