New location for Southampton's Spitfire memorial

The 50m landmark is set to be a part of a major regeneration of Southampton’s old docks and welcome thousands of cruise passengers to the city. It will rise up on land beside the historic Trafalgar dry dock, which lies abandoned immediately adjacent to the new £19m Ocean Terminal.

Port bosses ABP have approved the new site after a feasibility study found the structure would be too heavy for Town Quay.

The tribute will form part of a new heritage project at the docks that also includes a restored tram system and historic vessels such as the restored tug tender Calshot.

Southampton City Council is also in talks with ABP about reopening Dock Gate 5, at Town Quay, to allow public access to the Spitfire by foot.

Cllr John Hannides, chairman of the Spitfire Tribute Foundation, believes the monument will be visible from vantage points in the city.

“We are delighted that ABP have shown such great support for this milestone project for the city,” Cllr Hannides said.

View Spitfire Tribute locations in a larger map

“Trafalgar dock is only about 100m from the original location at Town Quay and it will be a magnificent backdrop for the waterfront and for the new Ocean Terminal.”

The move saves £500,000 from the project budget – now estimated at £1.7m – as there is no longer a need for an underwater substructure.

Plans for the tribute were launched late last year after a longrunning campaign by the Daily Echo to finally honour the men and women who built and flew the Second World War fighter plane.

It has received the backing of Prime Minister Gordon Brown and been described as the city’s equivalent to New York’s Statue of Liberty.

The feasibility study is being paid for out of the £70,000 of taxpayers’ money allocated by Southampton council towards the project. However, no taxpayer’s cash will spent on its construction.

It is hoped that the construction will be completed during 2011.