Great Yarmouth Borough Council has approved plans from William Abbott, co‑owner of Observation Wheel UK Limited, to relocate the 50m‑high Yarmouth Eye to a plot previously used for a slingshot ride.

The wheel will shift around 50m north to South Beach Gardens, where it will sit on new decking with ramp access, a supporting structure and a ticket office.

Planning officers acknowledged the move would cause “some harm” to the conservation area and to the setting of the Grade II‑listed Windmill Cinema, as well as continued - though reduced - harm to the setting of the Winter Gardens.

Proposed site plan for the new location of the Great Yarmouth Eye. (Image: Observation Wheel Ltd UK)

But they concluded that the benefits of allowing a well‑established attraction to keep operating for a temporary four‑year period outweighed those concerns, saying it would support the vitality and viability of the borough’s tourism economy.

The report notes that the wheel draws visitors from nearby holiday accommodation and may encourage linked trips to the Winter Gardens, potentially offering a small boost to efforts to restore the landmark.

Proposed west elevation of the Great Yarmouth Eye. (Image: Observation Wheel Ltd UK)

However, planners insisted the wheel cannot operate at the new site until a public art scheme for its base has been approved and installed.

Previous permissions granted in 2022 and 2024 required artwork to be added to the solid hoardings around the wheel, but the graphics were never installed - leaving what officers described as “a blank and uninviting temporary appearance in the street scene.”

Mr Abbott has now been granted permission to use the new site until February 28, 2030.

The wheel, which has been on Yarmouth seafront since May 2022, is an almost entirely steel structure and carries 36 gondolas.

© Eastern Daily Press