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New site could expand opportunities at Hengrove’s Bottle Yard Studios
Plans to partially relocate and expand the Bottle Yard Studios have been hailed an opportunity to provide more training and job opportunities in south Bristol.
TV smash hits, including Poldark, Broadchurch and Crystal Maze, have all been made within the thriving former wine warehouse on Whitchurch Lane, but upcoming housing developments are set to disrupt and reduce its capacity.
BBC’s Poldark is made at the Bottle Yard Studios
In a bid to safeguard and increase on the work of the film and TV studios, Bristol City Council’s cabinet agreed to the purchase of land and buildings just down the road at Hawkfield Business Park in Hengrove.
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Speaking about the plans at a meeting in City Hall on Tuesday, deputy mayor Craig Cheney said: “The Bristol Local Plan’s core strategy identified south Bristol as a priority for regeneration.
“As you know there is a huge amount of housing in the area. That does raise questions about employment in the area.
“Purchasing the Kelston Gears site (part of Hawkfield Business Park) also allows us to extend the success of Bottle Yard Studios, which is a hugely successful business. Elements of which will be disrupted by the forthcoming Hengrove Park housing development.
“A lack of soundproofing in older un-adapted buildings will render three, potentially four, of the studios inoperable thereby reducing the ability for Bristol to continue to attract high profile, economically beneficial and employment-generating television and film productions to the city.
“Later phases of house-building work will further impact on the operation of other studios.”
More than 2,200 homes are expected be built in the area in the near future and it is hoped that the acquisition of more business land will help provide jobs and opportunities for residents.
The Bottle Yard Studios offer a variety of employment and training opportunities
“I welcome this, not just because I’ve been a fan of the Bottle Yard ever since it came here, but because of the employment opportunities,” said Helen Holland, a cabinet member and councillor for Hartcliffe and Withywood.
“It brings it that bit closer to the residents Hartcliffe and the opportunities for people are great.”
Cost details have not yet been made available, but Cheney announced the intention to bid for funds from the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) to pay for the site.
As well as front-line film and production roles, the council-owned studios also offer employment and training opportunities in carpentry, set design and more.
Speaking during the meeting, mayor Marvin Rees described the Bottle Yard Studios as an “incredible city asset”, and a key part of what attracted Channel 4 bosses to Bristol.
Read more: ‘Channel 4 decision is a major victory for Bristol’
Phase two the project will involve increasing employment density on the Hawkfield site by refurbishing the building to relocate four studios from the Bottle Yard Studios, maintaining the current level of television production, employment, training and economic benefit.
The council then plans to add two new purpose-built studios, so the studios will be operational across two sites within half a mile of each other.
Part of the former Bottle Yard site would then be earmarked for further housing development on Hengrove Park in due course.
If this later stages prove unviable, the council will have the choice of selling the site for employment use or finding another way to achieve higher employment levels.
Read more: ‘Bristol is making a unified effort to level the playing field for the next generation’
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