RESIDENTS have spoken of their relief at news the application to build a big wheel in York has been withdrawn.

The proposal had caused controversy with objections from residents across the city who felt that the 53-metre wheel would ruin views of York Minster, and would appear out of place in the city.

Now, York Museums Trust has withdrawn its application for a 53-metre wheel, because it couldn’t guarantee the scheme wouldn’t destroy possible bat colonies in the existing buildings on the site.

Angela Burt, of Marygate, was one of the many people who registered an official letter of complaint with the council after the plans were announced.

She said: “I’m so pleased, and find it hard to believe that that’s the reason it has been withdrawn when there were so many more pressing reasons.

“There were plans for a theatre in the round some time last year, which would have been more in keeping with the area.”

Marjorie Walker, also of Marygate, said she and her husband Eddie were very pleased with the news: “There are places where it could go, various fields or other sites. We’re not Blackpool.

“We don’t see a lot of bats any more unfortunately. It’s funny, there are always people ranting and raving, but it took a little flapping thing to scupper the whole thing.”

Martin Clark, also from Marygate, said he had been following the plans closely and was mostly concerned about light and noise from the wheel.

He said: “We spoke to the Museums Trust and they said they saw it as a short-term investment, that funds from the wheel would be invested in the art gallery and gardens.

“For us, the biggest impact was visual. It was obviously going to be a very large object in the line of sight of the city, but it was always only considered to be temporary so we didn’t object.”

See The Press on Thursday for more on this story