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Edinburgh summer Ferris wheel plans rejected

Getty Images A big wheel in Edinburgh during the summer. The sky is blue. The wheel is white with red cars. The Scott Monument, in brown, is on the right of the image. Getty Images
Councillors have rejected a plan for the big wheel to spin in Edinburgh's Princes Street Gardens for six months.

Plans for a Ferris wheel to run in Edinburgh for six months of the year have been knocked back by the city's council.

Culture convener, Val Walker, said Unique Assembly's application for the site in East Princes Street Gardens would not proceed following a backlash from heritage groups.

The firm, which operates Edinburgh's Christmas and Hogmanay festivals, said the 150ft (46m) high fairground ride would have been a "hugely popular attraction".

However, heritage organisations including the Cockburn Association accused the company of attempting to "over commodify" the public space, which sits within the city's Unesco world heritage site.

The ride already runs in the city from 4 November to 4 January as part of the winter festival season.

Unique Assembly said more than 185,000 people used the ride on an annual basis.

The event application, which precedes a formal planning proposal, suggested the ride would run from July until early in the following year, with a brief break in November when Remembrance Day memorials take place in the Gardens.

The firm also hoped to offer "exclusive packages" including VIP champagne trips, comedy pods and Tattoo nights after the wheel became a semi-permanent fixture.

Getty Images A general view of the fairground rides in Edinburgh's Princes Street Gardens in the winter. The image is mainly dark. On the left is a Ferris Wheel in a glowing green colour. A helter skelter is in the middle and is lit up in yellow and red. A large glowing red column with a fan-shaped top is on the right. In between is the Scott Monument, which is dark against the backdrop.Getty Images
Unique Assembly already runs Edinburgh's winter festivals in the Gardens

But, rejecting the application, Councillor Walker said the council had a duty to "balance" the access for residents with the hosting of events.

She said she had listened to feedback from community groups.

Councillor Walker said: "Edinburgh is a world-class visitor destination and we boast an increasingly attractive events calendar.

"But this must be balanced with the needs of our residents and our duty to protect our beautiful parks and greenspaces.

"With that in mind, and having considered feedback from our stakeholders, we've agreed that this application should not proceed."

'Gentrifying space'

A "Festival Wheel" previously towered over the Gardens during the simmer months between 2014 and 2017 during the Fringe and International Festival season.

Unique Assembly has been contacted for comment.

Cockburn Association director Terry Levinthal welcomed the move, adding that approving the plans would have risked "gentrifying" the park.

He said: "We all accept the wheel being there for six weeks as part of the winter festivals, but to turn it into a permanent fixture would have been wrong.

"Having things happen for a short period time can be great, but then if that becomes part of a gentrified space where only the people who can afford to go can go, then it becomes a step too far."