Brighton Wheel
Encyclopedia
The Brighton Wheel, also known during its planning and construction phase as the Brighton O and the Wheel of Excellence, is a transportable Ferris wheel
installation erected in October 2011 on the seafront in Brighton
, part of the English city of Brighton and Hove. It has planning permission
to remain in place until 2016. Situated below the East Cliff near Brighton Pier
and built with private funding, its promoters anticipate that several hundred thousand visitors per year will experience the 12-minute ride. The wheel's location in a conservation area
with many residential buildings has proved controversial.
—the original fashionable centre of Brighton in the 18th century—was developed as a prestigious residential area from the early 19th century. Madeira Drive was built at the base of the cliff in 1823 and was extended to form a long, wide carriageway in 1872 and 1895. Early tourist attractions in the area included The Royal Suspension Chain Pier
(1823), Brighton Aquarium (1872), Volk's Electric Railway
(1883) and the Palace Pier (1899; now styled Brighton Pier). About 150 acres (60.7 ha) of the East Cliff area was designated a conservation area in 1973—one of 34 conservation areas in Brighton and Hove.
Paramount Attractions, a local company, first proposed the construction of a Ferris wheel
on Brighton seafront in 2009. They applied for a temporary planning order to erect a 60 metres (196.9 ft) wheel with 32 gondolas on the beach near the ruined West Pier. It would have stood opposite the Metropole Hotel very close to the proposed i360
, a 600 feet (182.9 m) observation tower that had received planning permission in 2006 and on which some preliminary construction work had begun. The i360's developers objected to the planning application, as did the Metropole Hotel, conservationists and local residents—although there was also "vocal support" for Paramount's plan. The company withdrew the planning application in January 2010, just before Brighton and Hove City Council's expected rejection of it. At this stage, the name "Brighton O" was used for the scheme.
In March 2011, Paramount Attractions stated that they would submit a new application for a wheel of a similar size but with a different design—the proposed wheel near the West Pier would have had no spokes. The company chose a different site as well: on Madeira Drive about 360 feet (109.7 m) east of Brighton Pier. The wheel's expected cost was £6 million, for which Paramount said they had secured funding. The application was submitted by the end of March, and an objection was soon received from The Regency Society. The conservation group, founded in 1945 by a group of architects, MPs
and other prominent residents, stated that the wheel would affect the residential area of the East Cliff because houses would be overlooked, sea views would be blocked and a major tourist attraction was unsuitable for what was a "relatively quiet area" of the seafront. After taking this and other statements of support and objection into account, Brighton and Hove City Council granted temporary planning permission until May 2016 during a meeting on 27 April 2011. The council granted permission for the wheel to be open between 10:00 am and midnight each day, but Paramount subsequently changed the closing time to 11:00 pm. The structure also required a Highway Licence before it could be built, which was granted on 25 August 2011.
in 2010, where it served as a tourist attraction during the 2010 FIFA World Cup
. It was taken to England in September 2011, a month after work began on building its foundations on Madeira Drive, at a location known as Dalton's Bastion. Some railings of historic interest had to be taken out; the Regency Society stated in October 2011 that they had asked the council to keep them in good condition and re-erect them after the wheel is dismantled. The railings are part of a Grade II-listed length running along Marine Parade, built in 1880 of moulded
cast iron
and teak.
The wheel was installed during September and October 2011. After a period of testing, it was opened to the public on 24 October 2011—the first day of the school half term. Paramount Attractions stated they hoped to attract 250,000 visitors to the wheel per year during its five-year existence.
There are 35 standard gondolas, each able to carry up to six adults and two children, and one VIP gondola able to carry up to four people, giving a maximum capacity of 284 (although the typical ridership at any one time is expected to be 200). As demonstrated by its move from South Africa to England, the structure is fully transportable and its operator Paramount Attractions claim it can be disassembled and removed in two weeks. Commentary is available on the views and buildings visible during the ride, which consists of three full rotations lasting about 12 minutes in total. Opening hours are 10:00 am to 11:00 pm all year, and the wheel will be lit at night; the extent of the illumination was reduced from that proposed in the planning application, which included lights on the supporting struts and some flashing lights.
, the highest court in the European Union
.
Ferris wheel
A Ferris wheel is a nonbuilding structure consisting of a rotating upright wheel with passenger cars attached to the rim in such a way that as the wheel turns, the cars are kept upright, usually by gravity.Some of the largest and most modern Ferris wheels have cars mounted on...
installation erected in October 2011 on the seafront in Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
, part of the English city of Brighton and Hove. It has planning permission
Planning permission
Planning permission or planning consent is the permission required in the United Kingdom in order to be allowed to build on land, or change the use of land or buildings. Within the UK the occupier of any land or building will need title to that land or building , but will also need "planning...
to remain in place until 2016. Situated below the East Cliff near Brighton Pier
Brighton Pier
The Brighton Marine Palace and Pier is a pleasure pier in Brighton, England. It is generally known as the Palace Pier for short, but has been informally renamed Brighton Pier since 2000 by its owners, the Noble Organisation, in an attempt to suggest that it is Brighton's only pier...
and built with private funding, its promoters anticipate that several hundred thousand visitors per year will experience the 12-minute ride. The wheel's location in a conservation area
Conservation area
A conservation areas is a tract of land that has been awarded protected status in order to ensure that natural features, cultural heritage or biota are safeguarded...
with many residential buildings has proved controversial.
History
The East Cliff, rising eastwards from Old SteineOld Steine
The Old Steine is a thoroughfare in central Brighton, East Sussex, and is the southern terminus of the A23. The southern end leads to Marine Parade, the Brighton seafront and the Palace Pier. The Old Steine is also the site of a number of City Centre bus stops for Brighton buses...
—the original fashionable centre of Brighton in the 18th century—was developed as a prestigious residential area from the early 19th century. Madeira Drive was built at the base of the cliff in 1823 and was extended to form a long, wide carriageway in 1872 and 1895. Early tourist attractions in the area included The Royal Suspension Chain Pier
The Royal Suspension Chain Pier
The Royal Suspension Chain Pier was the first major pier built in Brighton, England. Generally known as the Chain Pier, it was designed by Captain Samuel Brown and built in 1823. The pier was primarily intended as a landing stage for packet boats to Dieppe, Seine-Maritime, but it also featured a...
(1823), Brighton Aquarium (1872), Volk's Electric Railway
Volk's Electric Railway
Volk's Electric Railway is the oldest operating electric railway in the world. It is a narrow gauge railway that runs along a length of the seafront of the English seaside resort of Brighton...
(1883) and the Palace Pier (1899; now styled Brighton Pier). About 150 acres (60.7 ha) of the East Cliff area was designated a conservation area in 1973—one of 34 conservation areas in Brighton and Hove.
Paramount Attractions, a local company, first proposed the construction of a Ferris wheel
Ferris wheel
A Ferris wheel is a nonbuilding structure consisting of a rotating upright wheel with passenger cars attached to the rim in such a way that as the wheel turns, the cars are kept upright, usually by gravity.Some of the largest and most modern Ferris wheels have cars mounted on...
on Brighton seafront in 2009. They applied for a temporary planning order to erect a 60 metres (196.9 ft) wheel with 32 gondolas on the beach near the ruined West Pier. It would have stood opposite the Metropole Hotel very close to the proposed i360
I360
The i360 is a planned observation tower to be constructed on the seafront of Brighton, by the West Pier. Plans were submitted in June 2006 and were approved by Brighton and Hove City Council on 11 October 2006 with construction projected to start in 2007...
, a 600 feet (182.9 m) observation tower that had received planning permission in 2006 and on which some preliminary construction work had begun. The i360's developers objected to the planning application, as did the Metropole Hotel, conservationists and local residents—although there was also "vocal support" for Paramount's plan. The company withdrew the planning application in January 2010, just before Brighton and Hove City Council's expected rejection of it. At this stage, the name "Brighton O" was used for the scheme.
In March 2011, Paramount Attractions stated that they would submit a new application for a wheel of a similar size but with a different design—the proposed wheel near the West Pier would have had no spokes. The company chose a different site as well: on Madeira Drive about 360 feet (109.7 m) east of Brighton Pier. The wheel's expected cost was £6 million, for which Paramount said they had secured funding. The application was submitted by the end of March, and an objection was soon received from The Regency Society. The conservation group, founded in 1945 by a group of architects, MPs
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
and other prominent residents, stated that the wheel would affect the residential area of the East Cliff because houses would be overlooked, sea views would be blocked and a major tourist attraction was unsuitable for what was a "relatively quiet area" of the seafront. After taking this and other statements of support and objection into account, Brighton and Hove City Council granted temporary planning permission until May 2016 during a meeting on 27 April 2011. The council granted permission for the wheel to be open between 10:00 am and midnight each day, but Paramount subsequently changed the closing time to 11:00 pm. The structure also required a Highway Licence before it could be built, which was granted on 25 August 2011.
Construction and opening
The wheel was manufactured in Germany and was transported to South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
in 2010, where it served as a tourist attraction during the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
. It was taken to England in September 2011, a month after work began on building its foundations on Madeira Drive, at a location known as Dalton's Bastion. Some railings of historic interest had to be taken out; the Regency Society stated in October 2011 that they had asked the council to keep them in good condition and re-erect them after the wheel is dismantled. The railings are part of a Grade II-listed length running along Marine Parade, built in 1880 of moulded
Molding (decorative)
Molding or moulding is a strip of material with various profiles used to cover transitions between surfaces or for decoration. It is traditionally made from solid milled wood or plaster but may be made from plastic or reformed wood...
cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
and teak.
The wheel was installed during September and October 2011. After a period of testing, it was opened to the public on 24 October 2011—the first day of the school half term. Paramount Attractions stated they hoped to attract 250,000 visitors to the wheel per year during its five-year existence.
Specifications
Early proposals included installations of 45 metres (147.6 ft) and 60 metres (196.9 ft) in height. Subsequent conflicting reports have credited the Brighton Wheel as being 45 metres (147.6 ft), 50 metres (164 ft), and 170 feet (51.8 m). tall. The Brighton Wheel website states that the wheel is 45 metres (147.6 ft) in diameter, and [has a maximum height of] 50 metres (164 ft) above sea level.There are 35 standard gondolas, each able to carry up to six adults and two children, and one VIP gondola able to carry up to four people, giving a maximum capacity of 284 (although the typical ridership at any one time is expected to be 200). As demonstrated by its move from South Africa to England, the structure is fully transportable and its operator Paramount Attractions claim it can be disassembled and removed in two weeks. Commentary is available on the views and buildings visible during the ride, which consists of three full rotations lasting about 12 minutes in total. Opening hours are 10:00 am to 11:00 pm all year, and the wheel will be lit at night; the extent of the illumination was reduced from that proposed in the planning application, which included lights on the supporting struts and some flashing lights.
Critical reception
About 30 jobs have been created by the opening of the Brighton Wheel, and more visitors are expected to be attracted to the city. This has been praised by business and the tourist industry in the city, especially in the context of the recession. Criticism has come from The Regency Society and other conservation groups, concerned at the "overbearing" effect it will have on nearby residential buildings and the East Cliff Conservation Area, whose boundary it lies within. They also stated that large-scale development may be encouraged in the area east of Brighton Pier, because a precedent has been set for it. After planning permission was granted, some opponents considered appealing at the European Court of JusticeEuropean Court of Justice
The Court can sit in plenary session, as a Grand Chamber of 13 judges, or in chambers of three or five judges. Plenary sitting are now very rare, and the court mostly sits in chambers of three or five judges...
, the highest court in the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
.