Cafe project approved for museum’s jet aircraft

An aviation museum plans to establish a cafe within a jet plane on display. The Solent Sky Museum, located in Southampton, Hampshire, houses the fuselage of a BAC1-11 aircraft. Constructed in Christchurch, Dorset, during the 1960s, this distinctive exhibit is situated adjacent to the museum’s main building on Albert Road South. According to the submitted planning application, visitor feedback had previously highlighted the museum’s absence of a restaurant facility. The museum salvaged the aircraft from a scrapheap; however, only the front section could be recovered because of its considerable size. Following its decommissioning in 2000, it had been stored in Cornwall. The fuselage was connected to the museum in November 2023, with the intention of converting it into a cafe. Approval has now been granted for a two-storey extension to be added, facilitating stair and lift access from the main building to the cafe inside the aircraft. Volunteers at the museum indicated that seating would be available inside the aircraft, with a kitchen located on the first floor of the extension. A statement included in the planning application submitted to Southampton City Council noted that Tripadvisor visitor reviews had identified “only one shortcoming – the lack of a cafe”. The statement continued: “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 drew an objection from a nearby resident, who stated that the museum was “progressively adding more historical junk onto its property”. In response, a report from a council planning officer indicated that the museum had reached its capacity. The report further stated that the exhibits were “appropriate” for placement outside the museum, but emphasized the museum’s responsibility to ensure their visual maintenance.