Solent Sky Aviation Museum in Southampton, which tells the story of the creation of the Spitfire aircraft, is to be rebuilt and its collection extended in a bid to increase visitor numbers. The plans have been granted outline permission by Southampton City Council.
Museum attendance has fallen from 40,000 to 15,000 over recent years, and the museum’s trustees have joined forces with developer The Kings Oak Partnership to work on a scheme to rebuild the attraction as part of a larger, mixed-use scheme on the existing site.
The new, six-storey development will house an enlarged museum, 50 flats and four commercial units. The project will be funded by the sale of these properties and of 53 additional flats that will be built as a seven-storey complex, on a separate site near the museum.
Alan Jones, the curator of Solent Sky, hopes the proposed scheme will win back visitors: “We cannot do this on our own,” he said, “though we can do it in collaboration with a developer and create something staggering.”
The museum’s current exhibitions explain the development of aviation in the Solent and Hampshire areas. Displays include the history of 26 aircraft companies, including the Supermarine Aircraft Works in Southampton where RJ Mitchell designed the Spitfire.
This is the second proposal submitted to Southampton City Council for the redevelopment of the museum. The previous proposal was rejected due to flood risks and protected trees that needed to remain as part of the site.
