Bristol’s Bottle Yard Studios on track for expansion following WECA investment

The Bottle Yard Studios in Bristol is on track for expansion following an investment by the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) that has been confirmed today.

An outline business case submitted to WECA by Bristol City Council for expansion of The Bottle Yard Studios into the neighbouring Hawkfield Business Park was approved today by the WECA Committee, which greenlit the release of £135,000 to develop a full business case and the allocation of a further £11.73 million for the site purchase costs and to enable the works.

The expansion plan includes the conversion of an industrial property located at South Bristol’s Hawkfield Business Park, less than half a mile from the main Bottle Yard site, into three new sound stages measuring 20,000 sq ft, 15,000 sq ft and 6,800 sq ft, complete with ancillary spaces including production offices, prop stores, costume/makeup areas and break out spaces, totalling approximately 82,000 sq ft (7,600m²) of converted floor space. The proposed works will take the number of sound stages available at The Bottle Yard Studios from eight to 11, whilst improvement work will also be carried out on the existing buildings at the main Bottle Yard site.

The project, which aligns with regional priorities set out in the West of England Local Industrial Strategy and Bristol’s One City Economic Renewal and Recovery Strategy, is intended to maintain and grow film and TV production in Bristol and the West of England. It is estimated that the expansion will create around 1,000 jobs over a ten-year period.

Tim Bowles, Mayor of the West of England, says: “The Bottle Yard Studios is a terrific example of our region’s vibrant creative sector that brings so much joy to people right across the globe. I’m very pleased that as part of our Economic Recovery plan, we can help Bottle Yard Studios with £11.8m to expand and, with support from my team at Invest Bristol and Bath, attract more production companies to the West of England to help showcase the wonderful talent and opportunities we have in our region.”