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Leeds giant Ferris wheel bid
RIDING HIGH: York's giant Ferris wheel.
A bid to open a giant Ferris wheel on an island in the River Aire in Leeds has come grinding to a halt.
But lovers of the high life shouldn’t despair – the firm behind the aborted plan still has its sights set on bringing a wheel to the city.
The Yorkshire Evening Post told in late 2009 how Great City Attractions Global (GCAG) was considering Fearn’s Island as a potential home for a 165ft-high wheel.
Now, though, the firm has revealed that the Fearn’s Island proposal has fallen victim to the ongoing effects of the recession.
Nigel Ward, GCAG’s head of global site development, said the island’s position near Clarence Dock and the Royal Armouries museum was too far outside the heart of the city to make it viable in the current economic climate.
Mr Ward added, however, that the company remained “very interested” in bringing a wheel to a more central Leeds location, with Millennium Square at the top of its wish list.
He said it had so far proved impossible to find a suitable run of dates for a stay in Millennium Square due to the busy schedule of events that are held at the site.
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But Mr Ward also stressed: “Leeds is very much in our thoughts for the future.
“If anyone at [Leeds City Council] wants to make contact and discuss dates with us, we’d be very happy to take that call.”
West Midlands-based GCAG currently operates wheels in UK cities such as Manchester, Liverpool, Plymouth and Glasgow.
It also ran the wheel that stood next to York’s National Railway Museum between 2006 and 2008.
GCAG opened a new 175ft-high wheel in the grounds of the Royal York Hotel shortly before Christmas last year.
The firm has been given permission to keep the ride in place at the site until early 2013.
* Millennium Square played host to a 100ft-high Ferris wheel during the run-up to Christmas in 2005 as part of Leeds’s annual German market.
Its presence proved less than popular, however, with residents in luxury flats in nearby Portland Crescent.
They were unhappy as revellers enjoying a spin on the ride could peer straight into their apartments.
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Weather for Leeds
Saturday 26 May 2012
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Temperature: 8 C to 21 C
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Comments
There are 4 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
sagalout
Tuesday, February 28, 2012 at 02:20 PMLove the 'Leeds not Follows' MojoRisin and I agree Millennium Square is the worst possible place for a wheel, but I think the Armouries site would have been good. I have been on the wheels and love the fact that you can 'nosy' into all the buildings and, having looked out of windows in high rises in the city centre, the views are quite spectacular. If the operators feel the Armouries site would not be viable it doesn't say much about the visitor numbers there. I think a wheel would be a boost for the whole site and could include other attractions.
MojoRisin
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 09:28 AMWhy oh Why are we getting one of these? Most other cities have copied London and are getting one. Why should we be a clone as well? We are Leeds not Follows.
paul quigley
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 10:15 PMwhy oh why do the idiots who lead our failing council keep doing stupid things like this? who else in their right mind would build a public squre outside a busy leeds hospital? let alone have fairs and rockpop concerts. but then again these are the same pepolewho have ruined kirkgate market and the once proud city of ledds!
John44
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 06:57 PMAnother non-starter for Leeds. I hope the residents who live aeound millenium square object to this mostrocity being erected.
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