An old bus depot could be transformed into a contemporary arts destination.
A group of local artists from Bath Art Depot came up with the plans after it was revealed the city’s Weston Island site may become available.
The Arts Island would become an arts quarter with studios, a gallery, cafe, sculpture park and flea market area on the site.
It is an idea supported by the city’s Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse, who agreed “city leaders should think big”.
Explaining the proposal, Nicola Turner from Bath Art Depot said: “What we’d like to do is a sort of bottom-up development which is along the lines of NDSM in Amsterdam, where you actually start with the existing buildings… and put studio space within that.
“The island has two huge hangars, which could be made available to artists and performers from around the world, as well as creating space for the local community.”
Weston Island is currently used as a depot by First Bus, but may become available in the next five years according to Bath and North East Somerset Council’s Local Plan Partial Update, which is out for consultation until 8 October.
Ms Hobhouse said: “Let’s create something the local communities can embrace and be part of that improves links across the river, bolsters the island’s ecology and that attracts international visitors to Bath.”
The Arts Island plan is focused on having a low environmental impact through the use of existing buildings and green energy systems.
An alternative proposal is for the site to be used for a builders’ merchant and Post Office.
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