PLANS for the new Fashion Museum Bath have moved forward with a £1.745-million grant from the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority, supporting the council’s wider Milsom Quarter regeneration scheme.

Fashion Museum Bath forms a central part of the council’s plans to redevelop central Bath as a destination for fashion and culture. It will occupy a key position in the Milsom Quarter, which is set to see improved public spaces, better traffic flow, and additional housing, aiming to benefit businesses, residents, and visitors.

The museum, to be housed in the Grade II listed Old Post Office, will present fashion as a global industry and an expression of creativity, culture, and identity. Beyond Bath, the project is expected to have wider regional impact and, as part of the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority’s Growth Plan, the grant funding represents an investment in the area’s development and profile.

Central to the Fashion Museum Bath project is the creation of a new public square in front of the Old Post Office, the museum, and St Michael’s Church. The area, currently dominated by vehicle traffic, is planned to be redesigned as a civic space with improved routes for pedestrians and cyclists, provision for community events, and additional green landscaping.

The West of England Mayoral Combined Authority, at its meeting on January 30, approved the Outline Business Case to deliver initial works for Fashion Museum Bath, awarding up to £1.745-million from its Investment Fund - £1.256-million in 2026/27 and £489,000 in 2027/28. This follows on from a foundational investment of £1.5-million that the Combined Authority made in the feasibility stage of the project in 2024/25.

Councillor Kevin Guy, leader of Bath and North East Somerset Council and deputy mayor, said: “It is fantastic news for the West of England’s creative and visitor economy that our ambitious vision for Fashion Museum Bath and the Milsom Quarter has been awarded a further £1.745-million of funding. The project will help attract further investment into the region, generate new employment opportunities, and strengthen the tourism and cultural sectors across the west of England.”

Construction for Fashion Museum Bath is expected to begin in 2027, subject to planning approvals, ahead of its target opening date of December 2030.

The Milsom Quarter Masterplan sets out the council’s plans to improve public spaces to complement the historic environment and create green spaces, including proposals for the new public square in front of the new Fashion Museum and St Michael’s Church - an area currently dominated by vehicle traffic. The scheme will also support improved movement of people and vehicles within the Milsom Quarter, particularly around the new Fashion Museum Bath.

Following conditional approval of the Outline Business Case at the meeting on January 30, the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority and the council will work in partnership to develop the proposals further with a view to submitting a Final Business Case later in 2026.