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Concorde 216 AF

It's exactly a month to go until Concorde at Filton closes to the public.

Workers and volunteers at the visitors centre have been told it's part of the plane's maintenance programme.

But the staff there have been told they're being made redundant, prompting worries the plane is being permanently shut.

Airbus - who look after the aircraft on behalf of the owners, British Airways, are in the process of compiling a report to work out exactly what work needs to be done.

We've been told to expect those results in early September.

Andy Treweek who is the visitors centre manager says around 55,000 people a year go to see the plane and it means a lot to a lot of people in Bristol: "Everybody who comes here says 'I was involved in this' or 'my Father was involved in this'. If I was given a penny for everyone who says that, we'd have our money for the museum today, so an awful lot of people were involved in this aircraft. It's known as Bristol's aeroplane, it was designed here, this particular aircraft was the last Concorde ever built and the last aeroplane to be built in Filton.

Due to its popularity a Concorde Trust was set up in 2007 to build a permanent home for the plane.

Andy Treweek told us he's disappointed not much progress has been made so far: "There's a Concorde Trust whose remit it is to build the museum and they're made up of interested parties: Airbus, Rolls Royce, Cribbs Causeway, Bristol Airport: "All these organisations have a representative on the Concorde Trust so they're the people really who should be getting their finger out."

Trust Chairman Mike Littleton told us although the recession has delayed plans, they are still working hard to get it built.

"Airbus will have to fulfil its contract with British Airways to maintain it in good condition. From the Concorde Trust's point of view, we're delighted we'll eventually have a pristine aircraft to put in to our permanent home we've planned for it.

"I think it's vital to preserve a unique product in the city where it was conceived and built and flew from for generations to come."

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