An artist's impression of the Battle of Britain visitor centre at Capel-le-Ferne.

A visitor centre to celebrate the heroism of the Battle of Britain pilots has been cleared for take-off.

Dover District Council has given full planning permission for The Wing, which will be built at the national memorial in Capel-le-Ferne.

The building has been designed in the shape of the iconic Spitfire wing and will have room for educational activities alongside an audio-visual display.

The Battle of Britain Memorial Trust now needs to raise an estimated £2.5m to build the centre.

A bid has been submitted to the Heritage Lottery Fund, but additional fundraising will take place over the next year.

Richard Hunting, chairman of the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust, said: "We are delighted to have won planning permission for this exciting new development but we recognise that there is a long way to go.

"We hope that people will see the value of what we are trying to achieve here at Capel-le-Ferne and will contribute generously to this great cause."

The Battle of Britain national memorial, which is free to visit, is already home to the Christopher Foxley-Norris Memorial Wall, a replica Spitfire and Hurricane as well as the central statue of an airman looking out over the Channel.