ONE of the birthplaces of British aviation and home of the last Concorde has been awarded a £2 million grant to support the creation of a museum and learning centre.

The Bristol Aero Collection Trust has been awarded the money through the LIBOR fund, which consists of fines levied against banks, towards the Filton airfield museum.

The planned museum’s biggest attraction will undoubtedly be the Concorde which would be given a permanent, covered home.

Lloyd Burnell, project director of the trust said: “We are absolutely delighted that the Chancellor has announced in today’s budget the award of £2million of LIBOR funding for the Bristol Aerospace Centre and are extremely grateful to Jack Lopresti, MP for Filton and Bradley Stoke for his tireless campaigning on our behalf.”

“This exciting new £16 million project, which will also provide a fitting home for Concorde, is already supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, industry partners BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce and Airbus, and South Gloucestershire Council”.

The chancellor, George Osborne said: “In every Budget we have used LIBOR fines paid by those who have demonstrated the worst in values, to support those who represent the very best of British values.

“At the Budget I was pleased to announce £2 million for the Bristol Aerospace Centre to help fund this important project to preserve our aviation history.”

Jack Lopresti MP said: “The £2m from George Osborne for the Bristol Aero Collection Trust is fantastic news and means that the Concorde and aviation museum with its STEM learning Centre should actually go ahead.

“The Bristol Aerospace Centre project is a fitting tribute to Concorde and the rest of our aerospace heritage in Filton; honouring the people who have made such a contribution to Britain’s aerospace industry, and the defence of the realm, for over a century.

“The STEM learning element will inspire the next generation of engineers and scientists to ensure that Filton, and Britain, remain at the leading edge of aerospace technology and production far into the future.”

As a part of the exhibitions, Bristol's long-standing contribution to the UK's military efforts will be recognised and celebrated at the new Centre: from the Bristol Fighter of World War One through to today's Airbus A400M Atlas, the first of which was named 'City of Bristol' by the RAF.

The project’s 9.5 acres Airfield site includes two Grade II listed hangars built by the Royal Flying Corp during World War One and have been described by English Heritage as, ‘a rare surviving example of the earliest standard type of hangar’ and ‘the most complete of any of these types of sites in existence’.

Construction work on the Bristol Aerospace Centre is due to start later this year with public opening scheduled in the first half of 2017.