Bath's historic Guildhall to be refurbished

Plans to refurbish a historic building in the centre of Bath have been granted planning permission.

The Guildhall is the seat of local government in Bath and North East Somerset and a wedding venue.

Its Georgian entrance lobby will be substantially refurbished with a new reception desk, repainted walls, a new "lockdown" security system.

A planning application submitted by Bath and North East Somerset Council in February has been approved.

Hidden electric bolts will be installed within the double doors around the room, which will be able to be activated to "lock down" the building.

The doors are not original and are believed to have been installed after a 1972 fire.

In the design statement, the council said: "Being an important iconic building in Bath, the possibility of a serious security breach is to be considered."

Other updates involve getting rid of the "unattractive" reception desk, replacing it with a digital display and installing a white faux stone front desk to the left of the entrance.

The orange walls of the entrance lobby will also be repainted in "a palette of stone colours," which the council says will better reflect the character of the building.

In its report, the council said the proposals would preserve the building's significance as a designated heritage asset.

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