WITH less than a month until the mothballing of Filton's Concorde as a visitor attraction, the Concorde Trust says plans are still under way for a new museum to give the iconic plane a permanent home.

The £12 million museum of aviation would be located on a 3.5 acre piece of land at Cribbs Causeway.

Development plans have been slowed by the global recession but are still on target to succeed, according to the Concorde Trust's project director Lloyd Burnell.

Mr Burnell is also keen to reassure the public that money already raised towards the project from visitor admission fees and sales of a Concorde video has not yet been touched.

More than £400,000 from admission fees is in a bank account administered by the Bristol Aero Collection and around £294,000 from the video is kept in a restricted bank account, administered by the Concorde Trust.

Mr Burnell said: "Passions have been high in recent weeks, and there have been misleading statements made over the money raised so far.

"We want to put the record straight. None of the money has passed to the Concorde Trust."

The Concorde 216 made its spectacular final flight home on November 26, 2003, following a successful Evening Post campaign to bring the last Concorde to be built at Filton back to its spiritual home.

But the Filton site was only ever meant to be a temporary home. Plans have long been in the pipeline for the creation of a major aviation heritage centre, where planes such as Concorde would be under cover as the centrepiece of displays telling the story of the region's long-standing role in the world of aerospace.

In October 2006 an announcement was made that a site near Cribbs had been earmarked for a permanent home for the museum.

The site was offered free of charge by local entrepreneur Jack Baylis through his company, the J T Baylis group, and a new organisation, the Concorde Trust, was set up to manage the development.

Plans took a step forward in 2008 when South Gloucestershire Council granted planning permission for the attraction behind The Venue complex at Cribbs.

But later that year the global economy took a body blow after the collapse of Lehman Brothers – the Wall Street investment bank, whose departure from the financial scene tolled the start of a global recession.

Mr Burnell said the recession has changed the economic landscape upon which the museum is to be built, and the whole project has had to be replanned.

Technical issues have also had to be overcome concerning the height of the proposed building, because of its close proximity to Filton Airfield.

BAE Systems, owners of the airfield, raised concerns with the Concorde Trust that the current plans could interfere with the airfield's flight control systems.

Both of these setbacks required revisions to the existing plans, holding up the project for months at a time. But now the plans are back on track. Although unwilling to "give any false dawns" by assigning a timescale to the project, Mr Burnell said the public should be assured that work continues to get the new museum off the ground.

Possible funding is being investigated, and the local tourist industry is being closely examined to ensure the nature of the museum is correctly developed.

Mr Burnell said: "The Concorde Trust is working with Bristol Aero Collection, Airbus and other important stakeholders to find a permanent home for Concorde 216 and other regional aviation artifacts on a site at Cribbs Causeway, directly adjacent to Filton Airfield.

"Previous progress has been hampered by a significant reduction in the funding market caused by the global economic crisis and by many other complex issues.

"However, major steps forward are now being taken, and the Concorde Trust is currently working with a team of professional consultants, learning institution partners and the broader community to prepare applications to the Heritage Lottery Fund and other potential funding sources.

"As previously noted, the Concorde is being removed from public display next month for maintenance.

"The Concorde Trust and Bristol Aero Collection understand the importance of the extensive maintenance checks and repairs that are required under Airbus' agreement with British Airways, and their absolute necessity after the aircraft has been outside for so many years.

"The Concorde Trust and Bristol Aero Collection are grateful that Airbus is taking responsibility for preserving the aircraft so she will be in prime condition for future display.

"We are determined to deliver a first-rate visitor attraction and learning facility that entertains and inspires, with Concorde as its iconic centrepiece. Real progress is being made and all the organisations involved are working with a common purpose."

The statement follows a "constructive" meeting between Concorde Trust officials and Concorde volunteers at the Bristol Aero Collection's annual general meeting, which was held behind closed doors on Tuesday.

Oliver Dearden, chairman of the Bristol Aero Collection (BAC), said: "It was a very constructive meeting, which was able to give plenty of reassurance to BAC volunteers and clarify a number of points of confusion that have recently arisen.

"Airbus, on behalf of Concorde owners British Airways, needs to tackle maintenance issues that have arisen over the past seven years.

"The most likely problems I expect them to find are issues around internal dampness in the aeroplane, which will have developed as a result of the aircraft not being regularly heated up by flying.

"Unfortunately, that does necessitate the closure of the current visitor attraction for an indefinite amount of time. But we are now all focused on looking to the future, and working closely with all stake holders and the Concorde Trust, on the progression of plans for a new museum of aviation for the region."