PLANS to turn a historic city centre building into Bath’s new Fashion Museum will be heard on May 13.

B&NES wants the old post office building on the corner of New Bond Street and Broad Street to be turned into an iconic new home for the world-famous collection of clothing in storage since 2022.

Councillors on the council’s planning committee will vote on whether to grant planning permission for the scheme.

Planning officers have recommended that the plan should be approved, stating: “The benefits of the proposal are considered to decisively outweigh the identified harms.”

The plans would see galleries created upstairs, with a flexible exhibition space the 2005 extension to the rear. Another extension would be demolished to recreate the building’s old courtyard. A “large and welcoming foyer” would include a museum shop with a storefront on New Bond Street.

The council also plans to pedestrianise the end of Broad Street, turning it into a new public square. This could include outdoor seating from the planned cafe in the Fashion Museum foyer.

Although it is the council’s own plan, that does not guarantee that it will receive planning permission. The planning committee is independent of the council administration and has been known to turn down the council’s own applications before, most notably with the plans for padel courts.

The Fashion Museum plans however have been widely supported by the experts consulted. There was just a single objection to the plan from a member of the public, who said better public transport links were needed.

Money from the West of England Combined Authority, along with the National Lottery, and grants and donations will cover almost half of the cost of the renovation with the council covering £20m of the project through borrowing.

If approved the new museum to planned to open in 2030.