We would love to sell to Motion but they haven't got enough money say Bristol nightclub landlords

Alex Robertshaw, Jonathan Higgs, Michael Spearman and Jeremy Pritchard  of Everything Everything perform onstage on Day 3 of the BBC 6 Music Festival  at Motion on February 14, 2016 in Bristol, England.  (Photo by Ollie Millington/Redferns)
-Credit: (Image: Ollie Millington/Redferns)


The owners of the Motion Nightclub site in Bristol have released a statement defending their decision to sell, and responding to claims by the club that it was prevented from buying the building.

The owners, who have not identified themselves but said they are ‘neither a property developer nor a serial landlord’, added to their initial statement, and have set up a website to expand on their position.

The site owners said they have been talking to the owners of the nightclub, Motion Events Ltd, about the future of the site for the past five years, and the club have been ‘given the opportunity’ to put an offer in for the site, but have ‘not provided a funding plan to support its viability’.

The owners said they were putting out a statement as landlords ‘following press coverage’ of the announcement from Motion nightclub that it would have to close the site in July next year. Motion said earlier this week that their lease was ending in July 2025 and was not going to be renewed because the owners of the site was putting it up for sale, and had 'refused' to sell it to them. "Despite our heartfelt request for a lease extension and to purchase the property, the current owners have refused, leaving us facing immense uncertainty," the club's bosses said.

Now, the owners said it was not the case that a bid for the site from Motion Events had been refused. “There have been some reports that a bid from Motion Events Ltd has been refused,” they said. “Motion Events Ltd has in the past expressed an interest but, despite a number of requests over an 18-month period, have not provided a funding plan to support its viability. This remains the case today. As the owners have stated before, they would welcome a viable bid from Motion Events,” they added.

But that ‘viable bid’ has not been forthcoming. Motion Events said it had worked with the city council, but did not have the funds to meet the price sought by the owners.

The queue to get into Motion's main room (23/2/19)
The queue to get into Motion's main room (23/2/19) -Credit:copyright unknown

The statement from the owners of the site said: “74-78 Avon Street is not owned by a professional landlord or developer, this is their only commercial property asset, and they have decided that the time is right for them to sell, as the existing lease expires. The property owners have been liaising with Motion Events Ltd on future plans for the site since 2019 and the club owners have been given the opportunity to put an offer forward for the building, along with other interested parties.

“There have been some reports that a bid from Motion Events Ltd has been refused. Motion Events Ltd has in the past expressed an interest but, despite a number of requests over an 18-month period, have not provided a funding plan to support its viability. This remains the case today.

“As the owners have stated before, they would welcome a viable bid from Motion Events. While we understand that Motion Events may have entered into a pre-application process with Bristol City Council, this is only relevant to their own business plans and is not relevant to the site and its separate development potential,” they added.

READ MORE: Live: Iconic Bristol music venue Motion announces it will close

READ MORE: Nightclub boss says venue closure 'would affect Bristol’s identity'

“It has also been reported that Motion Events Ltd could only purchase the property if it was ‘not used as a going concern’. This has not been discussed with the vendors at any point,” the statement added. The website set up this week on behalf of the owners of the site to put across their side of the situation has a ‘frequently asked questions’ section, explains more about the reasons they are selling up and not renewing Motion’s lease.

“For the small business that does own the site, this is their only commercial property asset and they have decided that the time is right for them to sell. The site lies within a wider area of Bristol that is a central part of the city’s regeneration plans, designed to enhance both economic growth and community engagement,” they said. They also added that Motion has known its ten-year lease would expire in 2025 since they day they signed it in 2015, and the site’s owners started talking to them about selling up back in 2019.

“Motion as current tenants have been aware of the date that their lease ends since signing in 2015, and are welcome to bid for the site as part of the sale process,” they said. “The owners and directors of Motion Events Ltd were first advised of the likelihood of owners looking to sell in 2019. Early notice was given to provide Motion ample time to engage with their customers and develop plans for their future and discussions have been ongoing.

Motion Director Dan Deeks -Credit:James Beck/Freelance
Motion Director Dan Deeks -Credit:James Beck/Freelance

“The property is being offered for sale because the company that owns it is neither a property developer nor a serial landlord,” they added. “The owner also recognises that they do not have the expertise or resources to invest in the realisation of the site’s evident development potential as will be necessary to complement the on-going regeneration of the surrounding area.

“Motion Events Ltd can participate in the bidding process along with other interested parties and has been directly encouraged to do so,” the owners said. “We have not refused to sell the site to Motion Events Ltd and encourage them to participate in the bidding process. As with any sale, we require potential buyers to provide evidence of their funding before proceeding with a transaction. To date, Motion Events Ltd has not provided this evidence.

“There are a number of scenarios where Motion does not vacate the premises, including as the successful bidder for the site or as a lessee of a new landlord, but the end of the sales process is July 2025,” they added.

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