Hints over new Bristol location for Channel 4

MARVIN Rees has hinted Channel 4 could move into offices on Temple Island when it relocates from London to Bristol.

The Mayor revealed the site was an “option” open to the broadcaster after it announced Bristol would be home to one of its new creative hubs.

Channel 4 has committed to moving a chunk of its operation out of the capital and chief executive Alex Mahon was in Bristol on Friday to meet with Mr Rees and visit potential locations.

Although Ms Mahon remained tight-lipped, Mr Rees confirmed Channel 4 would be based near Temple Meads railway station - and could move onto Temple Island.

“They will want to be close to the train station,” hesaid, “because they need to be able to dip up and down to London, to Leeds and obviously there is a connection from the train station to the airport which offers the connection to Glasgow as well.”

He added: “If Temple Island was a place they wanted to go, and if it was built out in the right way, it’s an option - anything is an option right now.”

About 50 people will be based in Channel 4’s Bristol creative hub once the move is complete.

It will be one of two regional hubs Channel 4 relocates to - with the other based in Glasgow - while the channel’s regional headquarters will be in Leeds.

Ms Mahon was confident of completing the move to Bristol within the next nine months.

“We were very excited last week to announce Bristol as the winner of the creative hub and we are here today (Friday) first of all thanking the bid team,” she said.

“We had a lot of interest but what we saw in Bristol was an amazing partnership offer and we saw a team that really worked together.

“We thought by basing ourselves here, we would have that creative reach across other parts of the country.”

Ms Mahon also said she was confident of being able to recruit locally - particularly young people and those from BAME backgrounds.