A SOUTHAMPTON councillor has come out in support of a bid to save a historic piece of the city's history.

Labour councillor for Swaythling Lorna Fielker said she was "not aware that Southampton retained such a physical connection to our heritage in building Spitfires."

The comment comes as a petition to save the sheds on the former Ford factory site used to build Spitfires in WW2 reaches 42,000 signatures.

The structures face demolition as they lie on ground subject to an ongoing planning application to Southampton City Council from warehouse developers Tungsten Properties.

Cllr Fielker said: "The shed's location, behind the gates of an industrial site has meant that this proud part of our city’s heritage has been allowed to be forgotten.

"We must not let this last physical link to the Spitfire be lost.

"It’s not enough that Southampton only builds new monuments to the Spitfire, the flight shed which illustrates an important part of our military history should be preserved for future generations."

There have been multiple written public objections to the planning application, citing the historical importance of the structures.

The latest, from Military Historian David Price takes the same view.

His objection reads: "when dealing with sites that appear to have no modern use or lack historical merit (in the eyes of developers), we must assess what future generations will make of our efforts. Had it been that developers wished to remove a building used by shipbuilders in the time of Francis Drake there would be widespread horror.

"I believe future generations will take a similar view of the Spitfire Flight Shed - it may not seem important to this generation, but they will find it fascinating."

Research by The Echo revealed that sheds were considered for listing in the late 1990s, but was not put forward as they “did not meet the criteria for listing.”

Southampton City Council has confirmed a Building Preservation Notice had been made for the sheds on behalf of trustees of Solent Sky Museum.

If approved, a six-month order would be placed on the landowner to halt the demolition of a non-listed structure which has “special architectural or historical significance”.

Southampton City Council is due to make a decision of the planning application later this month.