The Business Exchange Bath & Somerset Issue 15: Spring 2020 | Page 5

BUSINESS NEWS
COVER STORY
National Trust ends B&NES’ lease
on historic venue
The future role of Bath’s Assembly Rooms is in question after
the National Trust invoked a break clause in Bath and North
East Somerset Council’s 15 year lease of the building.
The Assembly Rooms has been home to Bath’s Fashion
Museum since 1963 and is used for a wide variety of business
and community functions throughout the year.
The local authority has been a tenant of the building since
1937 when the National Trust awarded a 75-year lease. This
was subsequently renewed in 2012 for another 15 years.
A statement from Bath and North East Somerset Council
said, “Because the National Trust has invoked the break
clause in the lease at the Assembly Rooms, the Council must
now find a new home for the Fashion Museum.
“The Council is disappointed that the National Trust has
deferred making its decision to invoke the break clause until
so far into the term of the lease. It leaves barely four years in
which to find a new home for the museum and its world-
class collection.
“The Council is also concerned at the effect that losing
access to the Assembly Rooms will have on many community
and cultural groups that have used it as a venue for many
years.”
The Assembly Rooms are currently accessible to the
public free of charge during daytime opening hours, when
the spaces are not hired out. The traditional use of the
building for public assembly takes the form of a wide range
of activities including dance classes, festivals, concerts,
conferences, university graduations, dinners, parties and
weddings.
The venue will be handed back to the National Trust in
2022. In the meantime, B&NES will contribute £290,000 this
year for routine maintenance before the keys are returned.
As a large venue well used by Bath’s business community
there will be a knock-on effect around the city.
James Tribe has for many years used the Assembly
Rooms as the venue for the Bath Expo.
He said, “I’m worried about this news for two reasons:
one being the personal impact of losing the largest venue
available in Bath to host the Bath Expo (we need every metre
of the space and we would have to downsize if it became
unavailable).
“The second reason is that the venue is currently doing
what it was built for, serving the local community and
providing a special place to host events. If that facility is lost,
we could be in danger of creating another museum piece
and losing something that is still very much serving the
community. Let’s keep Bath as a lively, great place to live and
not just freeze it in time for the tourists.”
The statement from B&NES Council concludes, “The
Council has to prioritise its resources towards core services,
which means protecting and caring for the most vulnerable
in society. However it also takes its role as a custodian of
important heritage assets very seriously. The Council is
looking into options to achieve a sustainable future, both
financially and environmentally, for the Fashion Museum.”
Photos taken at The Business Exchange Bath & Somerset launch party
at the Assembly Rooms in 2016
Bath’s Historic Venues triumph at
Tourism Excellence Awards
The team behind the Roman Baths & Pump Room and Assembly Rooms have been
recognised in the South West Tourism Excellence Awards 2020.
Diji Alexander, Assembly Rooms Supervisor,
Councillor Paul Crossley, Visitor Services
Manager, Katie Smith, and Roman Baths and
Pump Room manager Stephen Clews.
The Roman Baths & Pump Room picked up
four awards including the top gold award in
three categories – Large Visitor Attraction
of the Year, the International Tourism Award
and the Accessible and Inclusive Tourism
awards. The fourth award was a bronze win
for Wedding Venue of the Year. The Assembly
Rooms took home gold in the Business Event
Venue of the Year category.
The awards were announced at a special
ceremony at Exeter Cathedral in February.
The South West Tourism Excellence
Awards recognise the ongoing quality
development of tourism businesses in
the region. Judging is carried out by an
independent panel of past winners, industry
leaders and experts. The judges consider
written application forms, websites, social
media and online reviews, and some finalists
also receive a mystery shopping visit.
Stephen Clews, Roman Baths and Pump
Room Manager, said, “We are delighted to
have won these five awards. Each year the
Roman Baths welcomes more than 1.3 million
visitors, and about 60,000 people attend
events at the Pump Room and Assembly
Rooms. It’s fantastic to know that we are
providing an award-winning experience for all
of our visitors and guests.”
Gemma Reynolds, Marketing Executive
at Bath’s Historic Venues, added. “We are so
proud of our team and all the work they do
to create fantastic events in our wonderful
venues.”
Winners from the South West awards will
go through to represent the region in the
national VisitEngland Awards, which will be
announced in June.
To find out more about the South West
Tourism Awards visit:
www.southwesttourismawards.org.uk
And for more about Bath’s Historic Venues
go to: www.bathvenues.co.uk
Extract taken from the Assembly Rooms
winning entry: The Assembly Rooms, is one of
the city’s finest Georgian buildings. It was built
in 1771 for ‘assemblies’; where guests would
gather for social functions of the day. Today,
the building remains a key venue in the city and
can be hired for an array of events including
conferences and parties. Four interlinking rooms
allow guests to move seamlessly throughout
the day, enjoying natural daylight, blackout
facilities and stunning decorative features
including the finest set of 18th Century
chandeliers in the world.
THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE 2020
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