Decision details

To agree to grant a lease for Bath Abbey on the basement of Abbey Chambers and the vaults adjacent to the Abbey for 150 years at a market rent, but abated to nil.

The Cabinet Members agree that:

1)  The Chief Property Officer be authorised to enter into an agreement for lease with Bath Abbey on the basement of Abbey Chambers.

2)  The lease reserves a market rent which is abated to nil, subject to the tenant satisfying the landlord of the following:

a)  The Tenant shall ensure that reasonable toilet facilities in the Property (reasonably agreed with the Landlord) are available free to the public at all times that the Bath Abbey is open to the public which will be not be less (on average) than six days a week. The only exception being when the conducting of church services in the Bath Abbey precludes the access of the general public to the toilets. The Tenant shall provide signage to the toilets as reasonably approved by the Landlord.

b)  The Tenant shall ensure that it operates a museum in the Property and / or Bath Abbey that provides a good general history of Bath in the medieval period (not just Abbey history) and that the museum is available free to the public at all times that the Bath Abbey is open to the public which will be not be less (on average) than six days a week. The only exception being when the conducting of church services in the Bath Abbey precludes the access of the general public to the museum. The museum must be to the reasonable satisfaction (in terms of size and content) of the Landlord's nominated museum officer. The Tenant shall provide external (if possible) and internal signage to the museum as reasonably approved by the Landlord and publicise the museum, particularly emphasising that access is free.

The Bath Abbey Footprint project will have a significant economic impact on the City. Additional visitors are expected to provide an additional spend of approximately £2.7million in the local economy, generating up to 50 jobs in the tourism industry of the City.

The scheme therefore provides a significant overall benefit, both to the Abbey itself in terms of the quality of their offer, but also the wider economy of the City, maintaining Bath as a premier destination.

The Council has no approved budget to deliver any further public toilets or a museum of medieval history. This lease provides a cost effective means of providing these facilities to benefit residents and visitors.

For the Council to pay for a public toilet and a museum of medieval history: Neither the additional toilets nor the museum form part of an approved Council strategy or budget. Their provision as part of the Abbey Project therefore provides a cost effective means of providing these additional services in Central Bath which would otherwise not be delivered.

Not to provide the lease. This would add additional risk into the Abbey’s ability to deliver the whole project and access the HLF grant.

Requiring a cash lease: This would reduce the Abbey’s ability to put funds that have been raised into the delivery of the Footprint project.