Riverside location opposed by conservation groups (From York Press)

Riverside location opposed by conservation groups

9:40am Thursday 28th August 2008 in News Photograph of the Author By Gavin Aitchison, gavin.aitchison@thepress.co.uk

The Yorkshire Wheel should stay where it is say conservationists in York

CONSERVATIONISTS have opposed plans to move York’s big wheel to a riverside location in the city centre.

Representatives of both York Conservation Trust and York Civic Trust voiced concern over the possibility of the Yorkshire Wheel moving from the National Railway Museum to the gardens in North Street.

The concerns were raised as John Lowry, senior operations manager for World Tourist Attractions, confirmed the company intended moving the wheel when the current planning permission at the museum runs out next January.

He said the company hoped to submit a planning application for the North Street site – which would give the wheel a riverside location like that enjoyed by the London Eye – within four weeks.

But Philip Thake, chief executive of the conservation trust, said: “I think it would spoil the riverside frontage there.

“Our river is not as big as the Thames, and we have not got the vast buildings London has got.”

He said Norwich Union may also be unhappy with the wheel being so near its office, and the trust itself would have concerns over the loss of views from some of its buildings in North Street. He said York should use its river frontage more, and Mr Thake called for a walkway between Lendal Bridge and Ouse Bridge, but said putting the wheel next to the river would spoil views to the back of the Guildhall.

Related links

Yorkshire Wheel may be moved to new location

Peter Brown, secretary of the civic trust, said: “To compare it with the London Eye being opposite the Houses of Parliament is a bit mischievous, because that’s about 200 metres away and our river is really narrow. It would be overpowering and have a domineering effect on the whole environment.”

He said the civic trust had been happy to accept the wheel in its current location, and thought its “technological nature” made the NRM a logical choice of venue.

Conservative leader Ian Gillies, who is also a director of tourism body Visit York, said the wheel had been good for York, and he hoped it would stay somewhere in the city.

He said: “I would support them if they found an appropriate site. It has become a distinctive part of the city’s skyline and if they find an appropriate site, I would support it.”

The wheel opened at the museum in April 2006.

Comments(19)

robodog says...
10:05am Thu 28 Aug 08

What's the case for keeping this wheel at all?

A good experience? People might be a little disappointed if they expect an experience on par to the London Eye. The wheel is cramped, wobbly, moves too quickly... it's just an overpriced fairground wheel.

Good for tourism? Are we really deluded enough to think that York, the jewel in the tourism Norths crown, needs a gigantic wheel to concrete its position, or that it's remotely appropriate to the themes of Roman and Vikings?

Good for the economy? As stated above, I think York's tourist economy is not helped by this, in fact, monolithic attractions like this take money and attention from the diverse range of independent entertainers, establishments and attractions that litter the town.

'Iconic'? As much as the branding tries to delude us otherwise, there are IDENTICAL wheels springing up in cities all over England, including Manchester and Birmingham.

The very thought of this wheel now destroying the tranquil riverside oasis that sits between Lendal Bridge and the Moat House hotel is outrageous.

For the reasons stated above, this wheel adds no value to the city, and we should be waving goodbye to it once the three years we've given John Lowry and World Tourist Attractions to rip off our steady stream of bright-eyed tourists with a over-hyped lacklustre attraction are over.