Alistair Hardaker | Image: The Old Post Office building in Bath, the location of the new Fashion Museum Bath (6a Architects)
Construction begins in 2027, with the museum projected to attract 250,000 visitors a year and generate at least £111m in value.
Fashion Museum Bath and the surrounding area of its new home have secured £7m from the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority.
The funding will support the delivery of the museum to the Grade II listed Old Post Office, alongside the development of the Milsom Quarter, a 50-year urban regeneration and masterplan project in central Bath led by Bath and North East Somerset Council.
The council describes improved public spaces, greener streets, better walking and cycling connections and a welcoming new public square. The museum will sit at the heart of the project.
The museum itself is expected to open in 2030, and is projected to welcome more than 250,000 visitors annually, generating at least £111m in economic and social value across the West of England, the council said.
Construction on the new museum is expected to begin in 2027.
The investment builds on previous support from the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority, which had already invested £3.25m towards the project’s development and delivery.
Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England, said: “Alongside other iconic attractions in our UNESCO World Heritage city, like the Roman Baths and Jane Austen Centre, Fashion Museum Bath will become a top destination for visitors from near and far. Our investment will create new learning and skills opportunities for local people, bring greater economic returns for businesses in the everyday economy, and open up more job opportunities in hospitality and retail.
“Securing the museum’s long-term future in the Milsom Quarter and unlocking its full potential is a powerful statement of our ambition for Bath and the wider West of England.”
