Agenda item

To consider the update of the Heritage Services Business Plan 2026-2031.

Cllr Paul Roper, Cabinet Member for Economic and Cultural Sustainable Development, introduced the report, moved the officer recommendation and made the following points:

• The Heritage Services Team continues to demonstrate strong leadership and entrepreneurial management of the Council’s key cultural assets.
• Council assets include the Roman Baths, Victoria Art Gallery, Bath Records Office, Clore Learning Centre, and the World Heritage Centre.

• The Victoria Art Gallery recorded 60,000 visitors in the past year.
• The Pump Room Restaurant received a Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Award, placing it in the top 10% of restaurants worldwide.
• The Roman Baths was awarded Tripadvisor’s 2025 ‘Best of the Best’, ranked 7th among UK attractions.

• Heritage Services continues to deliver excellent financial returns.
• The income generated reduces residents’ annual Council Tax bills by approximately £160.  This has supported B&NES in maintaining the second-lowest Council Tax rates in the South West.
• The expected 2026/27 surplus of £13.261m is driven by steady visitor growth, investment in staff, prudent management, and innovation.

• Business planning has accounted for known risks but predates the recent escalation in Middle East conflicts.
• The war involving Iran and wider regional instability may impact global and domestic travel, potentially influencing future visitor numbers.

• Heritage Services has launched a pioneering Sustainability Action Plan, which is among the first of its kind for UK museums.
• The Plan outlines steps to cut greenhouse gas emissions over three years and develop a pathway to net zero.  This supports the Council’s broader climate and ecological priorities.

• Bath holds a world-class fashion collection, and the Council is delivering a new, internationally significant fashion museum, set to open in 2030.
• Expected benefits include:
  • Job creation
  • Community outreach
  • Economic growth
  • Stronger university and stakeholder partnerships
  • Longer visitor stays and reduced day?trip pressure on the city.

• New cultural infrastructure follows the model of landmark UK museums (e.g., Hepworth, Lowry, V&A Dundee) and is expected to drive civic pride and local economic development.

Cllr Manda Rigby seconded the motion and made the following points:

• The council has a responsibility to conserve and enhance heritage assets for the community’s benefit.

• Heritage is not elitist and it has an ability to broaden horizons, bring diverse communities together, and address inequalities.  It must be accessible to all residents, particularly those facing disadvantage.
  Heritage Services is leveraging the global profile of the Roman Baths to expand access, opportunities, and learning.

• The Roman Baths Youth Forum provides young people aged 16–25 with exposure to careers in heritage, archaeology, and museums.  It aims to build skills, confidence, and pathways to higher education and entry-level roles.
• The Bath Carers Centre has a long-standing collaboration offering respite and wellbeing activities for both adult and young carers (5–17).
• A partnership with Blind Veterans UK was launched in 2025, delivering adapted creative and wellbeing activities, with programming shaped by participant feedback.

• B&NES Children’s Services offers structured work experience placements for care-experienced young people.
• There are plans to introduce £1 tickets for visitors receiving Universal Credit, Pension Credit, or Employment and Support Allowance to remove cost barriers.

• There is an ongoing commitment to the free Discovery Card for B&NES residents, with enhancements planned to increase benefits.
• The Heritage Services Team has demonstrated expertise in delivering a refreshed offer each year and maintaining a responsive, community?focused business plan.

Cllr Sarah Warren highlighted the Sustainability Action Plan which is incorporated into the business plan.  She emphasised the need to protect historic sites while urgently responding to climate change, one of the greatest risks to heritage assets. It highlights a roadmap to halve direct operational emissions by March 2028, building on initiatives such as installing heat pumps at the Roman Baths and the World Heritage Centre, which have already saved 38 tonnes of CO?e. Over the next three years, the council will expand low?carbon technologies, upgrade energy?intensive systems, improve building management, and pursue zero waste to landfill, alongside developing a full Climate Change Risk Assessment and Adaptation Plan. Staff are being trained in Climate Literacy, and partners in retail and catering are being supported on their journey to net zero. This demonstrates that sustainability and exceptional visitor experience can go hand in hand.

Cllr Mark Elliott spoke about the new Fashion Museum.  He stated that producing a world class museum in which to house the collection is a cultural imperative.  This will require capital funding and is not part of the council’s operational budget.  The improvements to the public realm outside and around the new museum will cost £7m, which the council intends to fund through a bid to WECA. The outline business case was approved by WECA in January, and the first £1.75m has been approved.

The renovation of the building, converting it into a space worthy of an internationally important collection will cost £39m. Again £5.5m is intended to come from WECA funding, £8m from the National Lottery, £5-6m from grants, trusts, high-net worth individual donations, and other public fundraising, and £20m from B&NES Treasury funding. However, of that £20m from B&NES treasury, £17m will be “service supported borrowing” – i.e. the costs of the borrowing will be paid for by the Fashion Museum itself once it is up and running – leaving just £3m of “corporate supported borrowing” where the finance is supported by operational budgets.  The total cost is steady at £54m. This figure has remained the same for the last two years and the council has a strong grip on the project.  It will create a major new cultural and heritage asset for the people of Bath and North East Somerset of international importance.

Cllr Matt McCabe thanked the staff working in the Heritage Services Team for their great enthusiasm and knowledge.

RESOLVED (unanimously):

To approve the Heritage Services Business Plan 2026-2031.