Agenda item

The report raises two issues regarding the Milsom Quarter Masterplan delivery – the King Edwards School Building and the Old Post Office meanwhile uses.

Cllr Mark Roper introduced the report, moved the officer recommendation and made the following statement:

“This paper covers two topics relating to the Milsom Quarter project – the Post Office and the Old King Edwards School building – iconic properties in the city centre that all Bath residents know well - and many have watched and wandered at the sad state of the latter for far too long.

The Post Office conversion to the new and exciting Fashion Museum is a work in progress and there are solid plans being developed to raise the finance needed to create a fabulous new asset for our city. Proposal 3 in this paper delegates the decision on meanwhile uses for the Post Office whilst that plan is implemented – giving officers the ability to make quick decisions on short term lets and other usage for the building, raising revenue for the museum and offering local organizations the opportunity to, for example, run art exhibitions or pop-up sales by local makers – similar to No 11 New Bond Street, which has been hugely successful. Incidentally colleagues may like to know that we will shortly be moving No 11 to a unit next door to the Post Office – because the demand for retail property in the centre is such that we need to release it to the open market- we are running out of stock of shops! The current vacancy rate in the centre is around 3% compared to a national rate of over 10% and footfall in the centre is nearly at 2019 levels – despite what you may read on some dubious Twitter feeds.

Proposal 1 and 2 are the follow up to work requested by this Cabinet last autumn where we asked for a workable solution to the long-term thorn in the side of our city that is the old King Edward School building. This architecturally important handsome property has sat empty for nearly 40 years. It is at risk. Visual inspections of the exterior show a deterioration in its condition. The paper outlines a methodology for the Council to help bring the old school back to its former glory. We can do this by our preferred route of working with the owner Samuel Smiths Brewery – and yet again I appeal to them to engage with us - but there are several other options available to us outlined in section 3.3 – and if all else were to fail then ultimately there is the last resort of a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO). That however would be our least favoured option – and in effect a failure by the owner and the Council - and would be in no-one’s interest – apart from our respective lawyers. We know that there was a very similar situation in Bristol – and Samuel Smiths Brewery and Bristol City Council negotiated - and got the building back into use. We would be delighted to do that with you Samuel Smiths.

The recommendations in section 3.4 of this report are there for all to see and I commend them to cabinet. Yet again, this administration is tackling head on a difficult issue that previous ones have chosen to ignore.

Thank you to the officers involved in preparing this excellent report. It has been a pleasure working with you over the last 6 months.”

Cllr Richard Samuel seconded the motion and moved an amendment to the motion to add the following additional wording:

“Officers are requested to produce a public report on the internal and external condition of the building for consideration at the next scheduled meeting of the Cabinet.”

The amendment was accepted by Cllr Roper, mover of the original motion.

Cllr Samuel then stated that the King Edwards School building is deteriorating and has water damage.  It is on the national at-risk register.  The building is important to the Milsom Quarter regeneration and progress must be made to safeguard it.

RESOLVED (unanimously):

(1)  To confirm the Council objectives with regards to the King Edward’s School building as being the following:

(a)  To assist in expediting the delivery of a suitable scheme for the King Edward’s School building to bring it back into use;

(b)  To safeguard its listed building status;

(c)  To ensure that the building makes a positive contribution to the broader regeneration of Milsom Quarter and Bath city centre in general;

(d)  To avoid excessive cost and risk for the Council.

(e)  Officers are requested to produce a public report on the internal and external condition of the building for consideration at the next scheduled meeting of the Cabinet.

(2)  To delegate approval to the Director of Sustainable Communities, in consultation with the s151 Officer, to agree to “meanwhile use” lettings (as described in paragraph 3.7 of the report) of vacant units within the Old Post Office block at less than open market value for regeneration purposes, on the basis that the benefit of the regeneration-led meanwhile use proposals outweighs the need to achieve best consideration on a case-by-case lettings basis.