A petition aimed at saving the iconic Bristol Blue Glass company will be debated by councillors after it gained thousands of signatures.
There are fears that the end of lease, ending in 2026, will make the company on Bath Road homeless.
Bristol Blue Glass was informed that their landlord had no intention of renewing their lease with the building to be sold for a development of flats.
The building is set to be knocked down to build new flats. The company have been looking for accommodation that matches their unique needs ever since.
The factory, including a 1,000 degree kiln and storage oven requires a premises that falls under a B2 General Industrial classification, a substantial gas line and three-phase electricity.
Head Glass Blower David Barry said that the search has been far from easy. “It’s proved very, very difficult, at the moment we are looking at company-wide redundancies at the end of November unless something comes up, but we’ve been searching for a long time and nothing has come up.”
Despite the threat of pending closure, the company’s strife has roused a swell of public support with thousands of people signing the petition within the first six days, triggering a council debate.
Mr Barry added: “It’s good to know that people love the product, they love the company and they want to see us survive and keep thriving.”
Bristol Blue Glass has been a fixture of Bristol’s artistic culture for 38 years now, with it possible to trace glass blowing in Bristol back to the 1700s.
Mr Barry highlighted the significance of this glass in Bristol’s cultural makeup.
“When you think of Bristol you think of the SS Great Britain, The Bristol Balloons, Brunel and the Blue Glass,” he said.
This history is something that fellow glass blower Tyrone Sheppard is keenly aware of.
“Glass blowing has been and still is a very important part of the city’s cultural heritage,” he added.
Brislington West Councillor Joss Clarke confirmed: “It will come to a debate, I have no doubt about that to be honest with you.”
Mr Barry remained defiant in the company’s plans for the immediate future.
“We keep the search up, we’re still looking, we haven’t given up yet and the writing is not on the wall, the fat lady hasn’t sang yet so fingers crossed something will come up,” he said.
