'World-class' £54m fashion museum could open in city

Plans to transform a historic city centre building into a "world class" £54m fashion museum could be approved next week.

Chiefs at Bath and North East Somerset Council want to convert the former post office on the corner of New Bond Street and Broad Street in Bath into a museum, which could open in 2030.

It would house a 100,000‑piece collection ranging from 18th Century court dress to modern cycling gear, which has been stored in a Wiltshire glove factory since leaving the Assembly Rooms in 2022.

Councillor Mark Elliott, cabinet member for resources, said: "To get an entirely new world-class museum including improvements to the surrounding public realm for £54m will be a great achievement."

Funding from the West of England Combined Authority, the National Lottery, and other grants will cover almost half of the museum's costs, but the council will still need to borrow about £20m for the project.

Council leaders said they hope to recoup £17m through the museum's profits, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Speaking in March, Elliott said the project was more than a museum.

"It's a catalyst for civic pride, a driver for social and economic improvement, a major learning and skills development hub, a celebration of craftsmanship, a driver of the visitor economy, and a catalyst for the regeneration of the Milsom Quarter," he added.

Under the plans, galleries would be created upstairs, with a museum shop and cafe downstairs.

Some business owners based on surrounding streets said they hoped the plans would be approved.

Charlie Dalton-Ball, store manager at S.P. Green & Co Jewellers, said he believed it would bring more attention to a part of the city centre that had been forgotten.

"Having the fashion museum here I think will bring a lot of new people to this part of Bath," he said.

"It creates a bit of a cultural and social hub, which I think will benefit local businesses."

Nicola Coats, owner of Minerva Art Supplies, added: "It all seems to link in with the area - with costume and period features - and you've got the Jane Austen Museum nearby."

Councillors on the council's planning committee will vote on whether to grant planning permission for the scheme on Wednesday.

Planning officers have recommended that the museum should be approved, stating: "The benefits of the proposal are considered to decisively outweigh the identified harms."

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