![\"Aerial](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/0_AD_BL_09-09-2024_bottleyardstudios.jpg\")
The Bottle Yard Studios in Hengrove(Image: Bristol City Council)<\/p>\nEntertainment giants Netflix, Amazon and the BBC have filmed thereThe Bottle Yard Studios in Hengrove(Image: Bristol City Council)<\/p>\n
The aborted sale of world-famous Bottle Yard Studios cost Bristol City Council taxpayers \u00a3430,000<\/a>, it has been revealed.<\/p>\n The authority wanted to privatise the South West\u2019s biggest TV and film studios, which it owns, but the idea collapsed in July when a three-month period for negotiations with the preferred bidder to take it on expired.<\/p>\n Actors union Equity opposed the controversial sell-off<\/a> of the production centre, which has been used by many of the globe\u2019s biggest small- and big-screen entertainment industries, including the BBC<\/a>, ITV<\/a>, Amazon<\/a>, Netflix<\/a> and Paramount.<\/p>\n Opposition Cllr Tim Rippington (Labour<\/a>, Brislington<\/a> East) submitted a question to a recent meeting of the council\u2019s member forum asking how much City Hall had spent on the \u201cfailed attempt\u201d to sell the studios in Hengrove<\/a>, South Bristol.<\/p>\n In a written reply, the council said: \u201cThe project to review the future of the studios has been within the council\u2019s transformation programme since 2023 (when this approach was agreed by the previous [Labour] administration) and has an approved project budget.<\/p>\n \u201cThe costs associated with the project are as follows and within budget:<\/p>\n \u201cTotal project spend to date (since Jan 23) = \u00a3430K<\/p>\n \u201cOfficer time is accounted for within the overall project resource [and] includes project management, legal, finance and HR.<\/p>\n \u201cOther officer time is unaccounted for as it is considered to be within their roles.\u201d<\/p>\n After the meeting, Cllr Rippington said: \u201cThe Bottle Yard Studios is the crown jewel of Bristol\u2019s creative industries, having recently won the title of the most sustainable TV and film studio in the world.<\/p>\n \u201cThe former Labour administration considered options for the future of the Bottle Yard Studios, including a potential joint ownership model that would raise private investment whilst ensuring the city has a stake in its future.<\/p>\n \u201cWhilst my preference is for full public ownership, this option was worth consideration.<\/p>\n \u201cIt did not decide to push ahead with a total privatisation, as the Green-led administration has done.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Greens\u2019 pursuit of full privatisation, which we opposed from the start, racked up the bulk of these costs \u2013 the taxpayer will foot the bill.<\/p>\n \u201c\u00a3430,000 would have made a world of difference to our local libraries, street cleaning teams, or local authority schools.<\/p>\n \u201cFortunately the Greens\u2019 privatisation project seems dead.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s hope they don\u2019t resurrect it.\u201d<\/p>\n