Purpose

Background
The Postal Museum is a tenant in the Council owned Old Post Office. Due to unfavourable trading conditions the trustees of the Museum have decided to close the institution.
Bath and Northeast Somerset Property Services have also identified some building maintenance issues which require the Postal Museum to vacate the space so that these can be explored and remediated.
Decision Required
That a small grant is provided to the Museum to account for the rent and service charged owed by them to the Council. That the Postal Museum is provided with another Council owned space on a temporary basis so that they may disperse their collection in an orderly manner.

Decision

To provide a grant of £6761.16 to the Postal Museum to cover the accrued rental and service charges accrued since November 2022.
Further to cover on a rolling basis, to be reviewed periodically, £833 for the charges associated with an alternative, Council owned space for the Postal Museum whilst they close-down the museum.

Alternative options considered

Option 1 - Do not support the Postal Museum
This was discounted as the Council is committed to a strong independent Museum sector in Bath and North East Somerset. There was an opportunity to assist the Museum at it was adjudged to be in the spirit of this support that the Council would assist the Museum.