THE designers behind plans for Southampton’s tallest building bring a wealth of expertise – from landmark projects in Portsmouth, the Daily Echo can reveal.

Plans submitted by Allied Development for a 28-storey, 80m apartment tower at Ocean Village were drawn up by HGP architects, who designed the 170m Spinnaker Tower and Sails of the South in Portsmouth.

Fareham-based HGP is also behind a masterplan for Port Solent, and have drawn up concepts for Poole Harbour and Casablanca Marina in Morocco Allied has submitted plans for three residential towers, increasing in height, on a boarded up site at Ocean Village, known as Admiral’s Quay, that was abandoned during the recession.

The £74m scheme, which could bring up to 200 jobs to the city, includes 299 flats and up to eight restaurants with seating spilling out onto the waterside promenade.

A Daily Echo poll at the weekend revealed public support for the scheme.

One third thought it was a great design that ticked all the right boxes. One in seven liked it but thought it could be better. And only seven per cent thought HGP should go back to the drawing board. Yet a quarter doubted it would ever get built.

Peter Morton from Allied Developments, said the firm was committed to the project.

“We want to get on with it as soon as we can,” he said.

He said the landmark tower would herald a “new skyline for Southampton”.

A planning decision could be made by the end of the year.

The two year construction project could be completed by Easter 2014.