The highly anticipated reopening of the Bath Fashion Museum has taken a major step forward with the submission of a detailed planning application to Bath and North East Somerset Council. The museum will be housed in the iconic old post office building on New Bond Street, attracting an estimated 250,000 visitors annually.
Spanning over 100 pages, the application outlines plans to transform the Grade II listed building into a modern, accessible, and world-class museum celebrating fashion and textiles. A key feature of the project is the creation of a vibrant new public space, Northgate Square, formed by pedestrianising the end of Broad Street in front of St Michael’s Church. This square will offer outdoor seating connected to the museum’s café and enhance the city’s cultural heart.
To improve accessibility, the museum’s main entrance will move away from the traditional rotunda, which is not wheelchair-friendly. Access consultant Jayne Earnscliffe confirmed that after thorough consultation with disabled community members, the rotunda will no longer serve as the primary entrance. Instead, new entrances will be created by extending existing window openings down to street level. While proposals to convert the rotunda into a display showcase are under consideration, they are subject to a future application.
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Inside, the museum’s grand foyer will be restored to its original spaciousness and remain free to access. It will house gallery displays, a café, and a museum shop that can operate independently during off-hours. The courtyard behind the building will also be reopened by demolishing a 2005 extension and transformed into a garden, promoting biodiversity, natural climate control, and linking nature to the fashion story.
The museum’s world-class fashion collection will be displayed in elegant, horseshoe-shaped galleries across the second and third floors, with additional flexible exhibition space in the modern extension. Climate control for the collection will employ an innovative, energy-efficient system, crucial for preserving rare historic garments, which have been temporarily stored at glovemaker Dents’ Wiltshire headquarters since 2022.
This redevelopment has secured funding support from the National Lottery and the West of England Combined Authority (WECA), which is set to allocate £1.745 million towards initial works and public realm improvements. Although the project was denied Levelling Up Funding in 2023, Bath and North East Somerset Council leader Kevin Guy praised the investment as vital for jobs, tourism, and cultural growth in the region.
The planning application, submitted by the council’s heritage services department to its own planning authority, will be reviewed independently by the planning committee, ensuring decisions prioritize planning policy integrity over administrative interests.
It is important to note this post office is distinct from Bath’s other old post office on George Street, which is being converted into a Wetherspoons pub expected to open March 3.