The sale of Sherlock and The Outlaws studio Bottle Yard in Bristol has collapsed.
Bottle Yard is the only film and TV studio in the UK owned and managed by a local authority but the council decided last year it had “hit a glass ceiling” and should be sold.
Today, Bristol City Council said it had found a preferred bidder and entered a three-month period of exclusivity but “it has not been possible to conclude an agreement for the sale of the leasehold of the studios.” The identity of the preferred bidder was not revealed.
Bristol Councillor Tony Dyer, who is overseeing the process, said the sale returns to the drawing board but the council will continue looking for buyers.
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“We entered into this process with the objective of securing a sustainable future for the studios and the opportunity to grow into its huge potential,” he said. “Those aims remain the same as does our determination to ensure that one of our city’s most successful regeneration projects continues an upward trajectory to deliver more jobs and more investment for Bristol.”
Bottle Yard is a major Bristol TV and film industry jobs generator that has welcomed the likes of Sherlock, The Outlaws and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder down the years.
Actors union Equity, which opposes what it terms the “rushed sale” of Bottle Yard, celebrated the news.
“Having had regular and meaningful consultation with freelance creative workers and their union taken place, I believe this painful process could have been avoided,” said Equity’s South West Area Councillor Rachael Fagan. “I encourage the Council to explore previously dismissed options for The Bottle Yard Studios, which prioritise public ownership, ensuring value for money for Bristol residents.”
Equity quoted data from the Bristol Film Office, which showed the economic impact of filming at Bristol locations and The Bottle Yard Studios rose 55% in 2024-25 to £46.6M ($62.9M).