Western Daily Press (Saturday)
Assembly Rooms to be given £17m restoration
PROPOSALS to restore one of Bath’s finest Georgian buildings to glory have been submitted to the council.
The National Trust has owned the Assembly Rooms since the 1930s, but it was only last year when it took on the day-to-day management of the building.
It was previously home to the Fashion Museum but the Trust now plans to spend £17 million restoring it to its heyday.
Designed by John Wood the Younger in 1769, the Bennett Street building has the largest Georgian interior in the city.
The National Trust says work is under way to create an experience that will transport visitors back to the social scene of Georgian Bath in the late 18th century, while remaining open during this transition as much as possible.
A planning application has been submitted to Bath and North East Somerset Council.
It contains changes needed to the building to improve energy efficiency and lessen climate impact as well as improving access for everyone.
A new Georgian visitor experience is due to open there in late 2026.
The proposals, if approved, will see the installation of heat pumps, solar panels and a new electricity substation.
A new staircase will replace the existing post-war construction and a lift to all floors will be installed.
Tom Boden, National Trust general manager for its portfolio of Bath properties, said: “This is a really exciting milestone for the project. It allows us to take a significant step towards developing an exciting and relevant future for Bath Assembly Rooms.
“While this application reflects physical changes to the building, the project team are also focused on the less tangible, researching the stories of the space in its Georgian heyday to share with future visitors and working with many community groups to explore how they’d like the rooms to function as a space within 21st-century Bath.”
It allows us to take a significant step towards developing an exciting and relevant future for Bath Assembly Rooms TOM BODEN