AMBITIOUS plans for an enormous Spitfire tribute at Town Quay have received the backing of developers drawing up a new vision for the future of Southampton’s waterfront.

Scottish-based Kilmartin say the 180ft structure will now be an integral part of their masterplan to create a world class waterfront around Royal Pier and Mayflower Park, Port bosses have given the go ahead for the stainless steel structure – three times the size of the legendary fighter plane – to rise up at the end of Town Quay.

Designed by renowned sculptor Kenneth Potts, the wire-mesh styled Spitfire will be held aloft by three pylons. Standing 25ft taller than the Civic Centre clock tower, lights projected at night on to the sculpture will illuminate the Spitfire in its numerous battle liveries. Kilmartin spokesman Colin Banyard said: “It’s a wonderful opportunity for the city and it would certainly add to the flavour of the area.

“You want things such as the Spitfire tribute that will attract people to the city and putting it down at the end of Town Quay will certainly draw people to the waterfront.”

Kilmartin, which has 12 months to submit new plans for the waterfront, was looking to create a leisure destination that would not be dominated by shops and restaurants.

“Heritage is going to be crucial to this project. With any of the successful waterfront locations across the world one of the key anchors is heritage,” he said.

“At the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront in Cape Town, which is SA’s number one tourist destination, the big attraction is the Nelson Mandela Museum and the ferry to Robben Island. You don’t want to just build another shopping centre on the waterfront. You want a special sense of place that is relevant to the city and the Spitfire obviously has a huge connection with Southampton.”

Councillor John Hannides, chairman of the Spitfire Tribute Foundation, said the Spitfire memorial could be a catalyst for the regeneration of Southampton’s most prestigious waterfront site.

He hit back at critics who say the structure lacks a viewing platform similar to Portsmouth’s Spinnaker Tower.

“In an ideal world there would be a number of features considered as beneficial, however we need to be realistic about what can be achieved within our constraints,” he said.