Bath Assembly Rooms submits plans for £17m refurbishment

The Bath Assembly Rooms date back to 1769 and were rebuilt in 1963

Plans for a £17m refurbishment of Bath Assembly Rooms have been launched.

The National Trust has submitted a planning application to renovate the Grade I listed building and make it more energy efficient.

The application is linked to a new Georgian visitor experience which is due to open at the building in 2026.

Bath Assembly Rooms, on Bennett Street, date back to 1769 and were used as a set for the popular Netflix series Bridgerton.

The plans include moves to lessen climate impact with solar panels and air source heat pumps, as well as improving accessibility with a lift to all floors.

A new staircase to replace the current post-war construction and an electric wiring system are also included in the proposals submitted to Bath and North East Somerset Council.

The National Trust hopes the new Georgian visitor experience will open in 2026

The application is part of larger plans for a new Georgian visitor experience which the National Trust said will "transport visitors back to the social scene of Georgian Bath".

National Trust bosses told the BBC that transforming the 18th Century building is a "once in a generation" opportunity.

General manger for the trust's Bath portfolio, Tom Boden, said funds would be generated internally and through public money.

He added that it would be "the first investment of this scale into the building since it was rebuilt in 1963".

'Highlight of social calendar'

Mr Boden said: "The Bath Assembly Rooms were at the heart of the social scene of Georgian Bath.

"Anyone who came to the city for the season, and you've seen that reflected in Jane Austen and Bridgerton, would have come to the assembly rooms to dance in one of the balls that took place as the highlight of the social calendar.

"What we are trying to do is recreate that for our visitors and take them on a journey."

The National Trust hopes that the new attraction will bring in an extra 250,000 visitors a year.

People can find out more about the plans in public drop-in sessions on 31 January and 3 February at Bath Assembly Rooms.