A new Wetherspoons pub is set to open in one of the UK’s most beautiful cities after planning permission was approved. A historic building on George Street in the heart of Bath will be transformed into the new boozer.
Wetherspoons spokesperson Eddie Gershon said the pub giant is “delighted” that the plans have been approved. “At present there are no on site or opening dates,” he added. The new pub will only be the second Wetherspoons in the city which welcomes more than six million visitors per year and is renowned for its Roman Baths.
It will be named ‘The Old Post Office’ which is already written on the building and a nod to its original purpose.
The Grade II-listed building, which was previously home to a Revolution bar, was designed in the mid-18th century by John Wood the Younger, celebrated for his work on the city’s famous Royal Crescent.
Consent has been granted for modifications to turn the building into a pub, including moving the gentlemen’s toilets upstairs and opening up three windows which had been blocked up internally, SomersetLive reports.
Bath and North East Somerset Council has also agreed to change the building’s open hours, allowing it up from 7am and serve breakfast.
Wetherspoons, affectionately known as ‘Spoons’ by many customers, has hundreds of pubs across the UK and is expected to surpass the 800 mark by the end of the year.
The highly popular chain, founded by Brexiteer Tim Martin in 1979, is well known for its affordability and often unique architecture, with many being in restored historic buildings.
As well as cheap drinks, the pubs also offer food.
Last week, the chain welcomed four new gourmet burgers to its menus — bringing the total number available to customers to seven.
Wetherspoon chief executive John Hutson said: “We are always keen to offer our customers the widest choice of good quality meals at value-for-money prices. We believe the four new burgers will prove popular with a wide range of customers at our pubs.”