THE man behind plans to bring a big wheel to a York riverside park said his company might take the idea elsewhere if it was rejected by councillors today.

Other cities were "gagging for" the attraction, according to boss Elliot Hall, who has proposed bringing the 54-metre viewing platform to Tower Gardens, off Clifford Street.

He said his company, World Tourist Attractions, was talking with five other UK cities, and might take its business elsewhere if city leaders turned down its planning application.

"This is the only opportunity to see York from 60 metres, unless people go out and hire a helicopter. Whatever we will do there will always be someone unhappy with a planning application.

"But for every one of those people who is unhappy, there will be 50 people who would like to see York from the top of the wheel and they are going to lose out," he said.

Different versions of the wheel, which carries up to 300 passengers on a 15-minute rooftop ride, have already been put up in Birmingham and Manchester.

But angry residents have opposed proposals to bring it to the city centre park. They said it will be noisy, unsuitable for the area and increase the risk of their homes being flooded.

Senior planning officers have recommended that the wheel is turned down because it will be "over-dominant and overbearing".

They also fear it will distract motorists on the inner ring road, particularly at night when it will be covered with lights.

At a site meeting yesterday, council officer Simon Glazier said the wheel would not just displace flood water, but would also affect its flow downstream.

Officers have asked for electronic modelling work to predict how the river may be affected when it is in flood, but Mr Hall said they could not provide the information accurately enough.

"It is unreasonable to say they need a water model within 2mm.

"The technology just does not exist. It is impossible," he said.

Win Derbyshire, of nearby South Esplanade, said: "I'm not saying we are not going to have the wheel in York, just not in our small park."

Updated: 10:18 Thursday, March 03, 2005