Torbay MP backs the big wheel

Torbay MP Kevin Foster is urging the bay’s councillors not to pull the plug on Torquay’s seafront big wheel.

Members of the bay’s planning committee will meet on Monday to decide the future of the attraction.
Operators Mellors has erected its observation wheel next to the Princess Theatre every summer for the past 12 years, and only last year Torbay Council granted a new five-year licence with the option for three more years on top.
But next week, the bay’s planners will decide whether they agree that the wheel can come back, and their officers are advising them to say no.
They say the harm caused to local heritage by the 45-metre wheel – which has been described as ‘alien and incongruous’ – outweighs its benefits.
In addition to the big wheel, Mellors want to put up a ticket office and a catering unit in the council-owned Princess Gardens. They would pay £30,000 towards resurfacing pathways in the gardens.
Mr Foster said the issue was ‘deeply frustrating’.
He said: “The Riviera Wheel is an established attraction and popular with many visitors and residents.
“I do not agree with the thoughts of the officer concerned and the points raised are less significant than the impact of not having the wheel on our tourism offer.
“The Riviera Wheel’s presence contributes towards the maintenance of the park around it and it is always removed ahead of key remembrance services held at the war memorial.
“When councillors vote on Monday, they should vote to approve it.”