THE creators of a petition to save Southampton’s Spitfire Sheds have said they will be “disappointed” if it is demolished.

Next week, the fate of the building at Wide Lane, Swaythling will be decided as an application for demolition is discussed.

Having been used to produce Spitfires during World War Two, the building could be knocked down in order to make room for industrial units.

A petition to preserve the site received over 47,000 signatures and now those behind the campaign, members of the Spitfire Makers Charitable Trust, have said they’d be “disappointed” if the application was permitted.

Alan Matlock, chair of the trust, told the Echo: “It’s clear that there is a huge amount of public support reflected in those who have signed the petition. We would certainly be disappointed to see the building disappear.”

Now the report for the meeting has been made public, the trust is arguing that not enough research has been done, adding that they have not been able to visit the site.

Planners say the building was “heavily modified and denuded”, but the Trust says until it has been properly assessed to find out which parts are from the original site, it is hard to tell if it is of “low historical interest”.

A monument of the Spitfire is set to be built at Mayflower Park, but Mr Matlock added: “Whilst the monument will be a wonderful expression of the beauty of the plane, we do want to see the story of the people across the city.

“In that speech, ‘Never in the Field of Human Conflict...’, Churchill went on to say that the front line runs through the factory. Those people deserve to be commemorated and honoured.”

Now the trust is set to submit additional evidence to “correct some of the assumptions in the report” and is considering seeking a delay to the plans until further research can be carried out.