Bath’s new Fashion Museum is set to become a world-class cultural landmark, with a steadfast budget of £54 million ensuring its successful relocation and renovation. Originally estimated at £37 million, the project’s updated cost was clarified by Mark Elliott, Bath and North East Somerset Council’s cabinet member for resources, following concerns raised by Bath MP Wera Hobhouse in the House of Commons.
Addressing the council cabinet on March 12, Elliott emphasized that the £54 million figure has been stable for over two years, with no cost overruns. He outlined well-structured funding strategies underpinning the project’s success.
Breaking down the budget, £8 million covers the acquisition of the historic old post office building on New Bond Street, financed through the sale of surplus council assets. £7 million is earmarked for transforming the public realm surrounding the museum, including a new pedestrianised square near St Michael’s Church, known as Northgate Square, supported by the West of England Combined Authority (WECA). This space will incorporate outdoor seating linked to the museum’s cafe.
The majority, £39 million, is dedicated to refurbishing and adapting the old post office into a premier exhibition space. This includes restoring the building’s spacious original foyer, which will feature a cafe, display cases, and access to a museum shop. Additional plans involve demolishing a later extension to reinstate a historic courtyard garden. Exhibition spaces will occupy the second and third floors, with a flexible gallery housed in the modern 2005 extension.
Nearly half of the renovation expenses will be funded by WECA, the National Lottery, grants, and donations. The council will contribute £20 million through borrowing, planning to repay £17 million via the museum’s future profits, with only £3 million supported by the council’s operating budget.
Elliott highlighted the broader vision for the museum: it will be more than just a cultural venue. It aims to inspire civic pride, boost social and economic progress, foster learning and skills development, celebrate craftsmanship, enhance tourism, and stimulate the revitalization of Bath’s Milsom Quarter.
A projected 250,000 visitors annually are expected once the museum reopens, anticipated in 2030. Since the museum vacated its former Assembly Rooms site in 2022, its collection has been stored at glovemakers Dents’ Wiltshire facility, ensuring proper preservation at a cost of £150,000 per year.
The council submitted the planning application in January, aiming for a decision by April. Meanwhile, residents should not confuse this site with another historic Bath post office on George Street, recently renovated as a Wetherspoons pub.