Date published: 2026-05-13 | Category: Delivering for local residents, Heritage
Bath & North East Somerset Council has today granted planning permission for the development of Fashion Museum Bath, marking a defining moment in the future of one of the UK’s most ambitious cultural projects.
The decision is a pivotal milestone in the journey to create a bold new home for Fashion Museum Bath. The project will secure the long‑term future of one of the world’s great fashion collections and re‑establish it in Bath city centre’s Milsom Quarter – an anchor development as part of the delivery of the Masterplan for the city’s fashion and design district.
With planning permission in place, the Museum moves from vision to delivery, to transform a historic building within the World Heritage Site into a world‑class museum celebrating the transformative power of fashion.
Councillor Paul Roper, Cabinet Member for Economic & Cultural Sustainable Development, Bath & North East Somerset Council, said:
“Securing planning permission for Fashion Museum Bath is a landmark moment for our city. This project is about much more than a new museum: it is a transformative investment in Bath’s cultural future, bringing new life to historic buildings, creating inspiring spaces for learning and creativity, and ensuring that this world‑class collection can be enjoyed by generations to come. It is what this city, local authority and the West of England region deserve.”
Fashion Museum Bath will be housed within the Grade II listed former Old Post Office on New Bond Street, with a new courtyard building and public garden at the centre of the site. The proposals will sensitively restore, repair and adapt the historic building, combined with carefully considered contemporary interventions, to create an accessible, welcoming and future‑facing museum.
Once complete, the museum will more than double the floorspace of its former home at the Assembly Rooms, enabling significantly more of the internationally renowned Collection to be displayed and experienced by the public.
The project is accompanied by transformative public realm improvements, including the creation of a new city square and improved public space, which will create a welcoming, greener and accessible setting for the museum and its visitors.
Designing a world‑class museum
Award‑winning architects 6a have reimagined the Old Post Office and surrounding buildings to create a distinctive new cultural destination for both local communities and visitors to the city. 6a have recently reimagined Tate Liverpool, designed the new MK Gallery, and have designed flagship buildings for fashion designers including Paul Smith and JW Anderson.
The approved designs transform the ground floor of the Old Post Office to form a generous, light‑filled public foyer, centred around a new museum garden, free to access, and incorporating displays, a café, and a museum shop.
New entrances will improve visibility, movement through the space, and create barrier-free access while respecting the character of the historic façade. These changes will be complemented by wider public realm improvements outside the building, creating a high-quality arrival experience and a new civic setting for the museum. Retractable, fabric awnings above windows and doors will manage sunlight and control temperature, protecting the Collection in the most sustainable way possible.
Two principal gallery floors will house dynamic Collection Galleries and changing exhibition spaces, enabling Fashion Museum Bath to display more of its collection than ever before while collaborating with partners, designers, creatives, and makers on changing displays. Exhibition designers JA Projects - who recently completed work on the new V&A East Museum & Galleries - are collaborating closely with the Fashion Museum team to develop inspiring new galleries.
The museum will be fully accessible with step-free access throughout, alongside a Changing Places facility. To the rear, unsympathetic, modern additions will be removed to create a new courtyard building for learning, and events, alongside the landscaped courtyard garden, designed by Sarah Price Landscapes, which brings nature and biodiversity into the heart of the museum.
Tom Emerson OBE, Founding Director, 6a architects, said:
"We are delighted to achieve planning permission for the Fashion Museum Bath and are grateful to the many hundreds of people who have contributed to the museum so far. The museum will bring people and fashion together, showcasing an extraordinary collection with energy and excitement, and create new spaces for learning and nature. The transformation of the former Post Office will continue Bath’s legacy of outstanding architecture with a museum designed for today and for future generations."
Stephanie Macdonald OBE and Tom Emerson OBE co‑founded 6a architects in 2001. The London‑based studio has since established an international reputation for award‑winning projects, with a particular specialism in the sensitive transformation of historic buildings.
A catalyst for culture‑led regeneration
Fashion Museum Bath will act as a cornerstone of the wider Milsom Quarter regeneration, which will breathe new life into underused heritage buildings and transform public spaces. With an anticipated 250,000 visitors each year, Fashion Museum Bath will play a vital role in strengthening Bath’s cultural economy, supporting skills, learning and creativity, and reinforcing the city’s international reputation as a centre for heritage, culture and the creative industries.
Bath & North East Somerset Council have pledged £20 million to support the creation of the new Museum. The project has also received endorsement from the West of England Combined Mayoral Authority with initial funding of £1.75 million granted in January this year, building on an earlier grant of £1.5 million. Support has also come from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, which has supported the project with funding of £768,000 to progress plans for the development of the new museum. Further funding related to the Museum’s collection has come from the Esme Fairbairn Foundation, and Arts Council England.
The planning application (ref: 26/00101/REG03) was considered at the planning committee meeting on Wednesday 13 May, following extensive public consultation on the plans.
Construction for Fashion Museum Bath is expected to begin in winter 2027, ahead of its target opening date of December 2030.