CAMPAIGN FOR ‘FLOATING’ CONCORDE ON THE THAMES
A £500.000 crowdfunding appeal has been launched for a planning application to put the unique supersonic airliner Concorde on the River Thames.
The famous British-made aircraft was a familiar site over Teddington and south-west London as it roared overhead on its daily flights from Heathrow to New York. It made its last flight 20 years ago yesterday (Sunday)
The campaign is being organised by a group of Concorde fans who are battling to save the plane, currently hidden away in a corner at Heathrow airport, and restore it to a new and exciting life as a tourist attraction sitting on a purpose-built platform on the Thames and close to the London Eye.
It is estimate that it will take £1m to secure the aircraft from owners British Airways and at least three planning applications will be needed to get permission for the project to go ahead.
The organisers say: “In addition to employing the best planning expertise, we will also call upon the many VIPs, politicians, Corporate Leaders and the global Concorde fraternity to help us save this Concorde for future generations and ourselves.
“We are asking the British public to donate whatever they can to support our planning application to put Concorde on a platform on the Thames, so save the London Concorde, currently in a corner at Heathrow, and restore her to her former glory as a new exhibit opposite the Houses of Parliament and next to the London Eye.”
News of the ambitious project was broken in the Mail on Sunday newspaper yesterday (sunday)
Les Brodie, a former Concorde Captain who flew the last ever Concorde, on 26th November 2003 is a keen supporter of the project.
He stated: “I think an easily accessible Concorde exhibit in central London would help remind people of what we had achieved and seeing it may inspire someone to do it again, so you have my endorsement.”
The campaign has already raised nearly £4000 with 133 donations.
If you are interested go to: https://www.gofundme.com/f/concorde-on-the-thames-saving-concorde
