Launch marks full circle in battle to find new site for giant wheel

The 175ft-high wheel has been installed in the gardens of the Royal York Hotel next to the city’s railway station and opened less than three weeks after councillors gave the go-ahead for the scheme.

A wheel was set up near York’s National Railway Museum in 2006, but it was dismantled three years ago as interest waned. Plans had been drawn up to re-site it in Museum Gardens, but these were abandoned after a protected species of bat was found using the site.

Great City Attractions, the firm responsible for the previous wheel, had hoped to open the new site on Saturday, but the launch was delayed by high winds. It had then been due to open from 2pm yesterday, but the official launch was again delayed by nearly three hours while final safety checks took place.

The operations manager for Great City Attractions, John Lowery, said: “We are aware of the importance of tourism to York’s economy, and the wheel will be a welcome addition to help bring in more visitors to the city.”

It is hoped up to 500,000 passengers will go on the wheel. It is allowed to stay at its new location until January 2013.