A BIG wheel could be brought back to York city centre under fresh plans by an international tourism company.

Great City Attractions Global Ltd (GCAG) has teamed up with the Royal York Hotel beside York Station and wants to put a 53-metre wheel in its gardens.

The wheel would be the same size and design as the one that operated at the National Railway Museum several years ago.

John Lowery, the firm’s UK operations manager, said a planning application had been submitted to City of York Council.

He said: “If the application is successful it would be a world-first for York: as we believe that this may be the first time anywhere in the world a hotel has hosted a wheel.”

He said the wheel at the railway museum had been positively received by visitors, local residents, council officials and the tourism industry.

He added: “We are hopeful that a new wheel in York – if the application is successful – will allow York residents to see their magnificent city from an exciting new perspective and provide another reason for visitors to come to York.”

Gillian Cruddas, chief executive of Visit York, said: ‘We welcome Great City Attractions’ continued interest in investing in York city centre.

“The wheel was a popular feature of York when it originally opened near the National Railway Museum in April 2006 and became an icon of the city, enjoyed by thousands of visitors and featured in countless publicity photographs.

“We believe the wheel helps to enhance the international profile of York and adds a new dimension to the cityscape.”

The wheel at the railway museum operated from April 2006 to November 2008, and the operators – previously known as World Tourist Attractions – have seen several attempts to replace it come to nothing. Plans for sites at North Street Gardens, St George’s Field car park, and behind York Art Gallery have all been dashed following varying objections.

Mr Lowery said GCAG were the market leaders in big wheels. The firm has previously operated wheels in cities including Belfast, Brisbane, Brussels, Copenhagen, Glasgow, London, Manchester, Paris, Perth, Plymouth, Singapore and Windsor.

The management of the Royal York were unavailable for comment, but Mr Lowery praised the hotel and its owners, the Principal Hayley Group, for its support.

Sonja Crisp, the city council’s cabinet member for leisure and culture issues, said: “We would love to see a wheel come back to York. This is not a council application or a council scheme, but we will work positively with with the operators of the wheel in every way we can, if it should get through the planning process.”

York Press: The Press - Comment

In a spin again over big wheel

A COUPLE of decades ago there was a TV game show called Wheel Of Fortune where contestants had to blindly guess the right answer or lose out in a hangman-like game.

It’s been a bit like that in York lately. Our own wheel of fortune left the city three years ago and with it went thousands of tourist pounds.

Since then, people have come up with idea after idea to bring the attraction back. But, so far, everything from bats to conservationists have stood in the way.

Now, just as we thought Great City Attractions Global had given up on finding the wheel a new home in York, new plans have been revealed to put it in the Royal York Hotel’s gardens.

Nobody saw that one coming, but let’s hope at last the wheel has finally found the right place. If so, it would be the first time a hotel has hosted a wheel anywhere in the world.

We agree with Gillian Cruddas, of Visit York, who says the first wheel became an icon of the city; one enjoyed by thousands of visitors.

And while some might wish never to see the wheel here again, it has a beauty of its own and York should be wary of dismissing something just because it isn’t old.

In any case, the wheel won’t be here for long.

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