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Take-off for cafe inside museum jet plane

LDRS Solent Sky Museum in Albert Road South, Southampton. It is building made from corrugated metal. At the front of a building is the body of an aeroplane with no wings.LDRS
The aircraft was going to be scrapped before the museum salvaged it

A jet plane exhibited at an aviation museum is set to have a cafe built inside it.

The Solent Sky Museum in Southampton, Hampshire, is home to the fuselage of a BAC1-11 aircraft.

Built in Christchurch, Dorset, in the 1960s, the unique attraction sits next to the museum's building in Albert Road South.

Visitor reviews had previously criticised the museum's lack of a restaurant, according to the planning application.

LDRS Solent Sky Museum in Albert Road South, Southampton. It is building made from corrugated metal. At the front of a building is the body of an aeroplane with no wings. LDRS
In an objection to the plans, one resident described the outside of the museum as looking like a "hoarder’s junk yard"

The plane was rescued from a scrapheap by the museum - but only the front of the aircraft was salvaged due to its size.

It had been stored in Cornwall after going out of service in 2000.

The fuselage was attached to the museum in November 2023, with a view to turning it into a cafe.

Permission has now been given for the addition of a two-storey extension to provide stairs and lift access from the building to a cafe within the aircraft

Museum volunteers said there would be seating within the aircraft and a kitchen on the first floor of the extension.

Classic Architecture/Solent Sky Museum An artist's impression of half a plane attached to a museum. A two-storey building meets the plane near where its wing would be. Next to the plane is the museum.Classic Architecture/Solent Sky Museum
An artist's impression shows a two-storey extension next to the plane

A statement submitted to Southampton City Council as part of the planning application said visitor reviews on Tripadvisor had raised "only one shortcoming – the lack of a cafe".

It went on: “This innovative proposal to create a cafe within an aircraft will both add to the visitor experience and contribute to the future of the museum.”

The application attracted an objection from a neighbouring resident, who said the museum was “progressively adding more historical junk onto its property”.

In response, a council planning officer’s report said the museum had reached capacity.

It added the exhibits were "appropriate" outside the museum, but that it was the duty of the museum to ensure they were visually maintained.

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