Stockport Council have granted planning permission to extend the Avro Heritage Museum’s exhibition space with a spectacular new hangar.
The Museum opened in November 2015 in the converted former Airfield Fire Station at the legendary Woodford Aerodrome site, Woodford, Stockport
Since opening the Museum has gone from strength to strength with the visitor numbers growing significantly year on year.
The number of aircraft in the collection has also grown significantly and a number held in storage awaiting somewhere to display them. These include a selection of large aircraft including the mighty Avro Shackleton that was formerly displayed in the Aviation Hall of the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester.
Terry Barnes, Chairman of Trustees at the Museum said
“We welcome the decision of Stockport Council to support our plans to build this a large exhibition hall. This will allow us to display all the major exhibits we have in our collection, many held in storage. It allows visitors to see how the company rose from simple beginnings in the basement of a cotton mill in Ancoats building aircraft of timber and cloth through to building some of the best known aircraft in the world including the Lancaster and Vulcan bombers. Our collection has examples from each era. Exciting times ahead of us.”
Visit England have recognised the quality of the Avro Heritage Museum and its volunteers with its coveted “Hidden Gem in the North West” award.
The Museum works closely with local schools, colleges and universities to help students understand the significant developments in aviation engineering, science and technology which were all developed in and around Greater Manchester and the Northwest and led by the AVRO Aircraft Company and its successors, Hawker Siddeley, British Aerospace and BAE Systems. It is hoped to inspire the next generation of aviators, engineers and entrepreneurs to work in the aviation and technology industries.
The Museum will shortly launch a fund-raising effort to secure donations to support the construction and fit-out of the new hall and exhibition space.
