Decision details

The Council owns the Fashion Museum Collection and is one of the world’s great museum collections of historical and contemporary fashionable dress. It is designated by government as a collection of outstanding significance and contains over 100,000 objects that have been designed, made, purchased, enjoyed, worn and treasured by people. The Fashion Museum was housed at the Assembly Rooms in Bath since 1963 until March 2023. The Assembly Rooms are owned by the National Trust and have been leased to the Council since 1938. The National Trust decided to take back occupancy and management of the Assembly Rooms in March 2023 meaning the Fashion Museum had to close. Following an options appraisal, the Council acquired the Grade II Old Post Office, 21-26 New Bond Street and 27 Northgate St, Bath BA1 1BA to house the new Fashion Museum. This project is to transform the Old Post Office into the Fashion Museum, Bath - securing the future not only of the Fashion Museum collection but also of one of the few listed 20th Century Buildings in Bath. This decision covers the development of the new museum to RIBA Stage 3 (Coordinated Design).

To fully approve £1.923 million with £1m from the approved capital budget “Fashion Museum Renovation” for 2025/26,, the project inception fund (£0.155m) and accept grant funding of £768k to develop the scheme to RIBA Stage 3.

Continued storage of the Collection. The Council has acquired the Old Post Office with the intention to develop a Fashion Museum subject to a robust business case confirmed by the RIBA3 design work and future successful grant awards and other fundraising