I’M APPALLED, but not surprised, to read (The Press, February 2) that the new owners of the big wheel at the Royal York Hotel have applied to extend its stay by eight months.
I’m appalled, because permission was explicitly limited to 14 months, ending on January 31, on grounds of intrusion on nearby residents.
Planning officials said “the scheme is acceptable on this temporary basis, but the ‘perception of being overlooked’ by residents in Westgate apartments would be unacceptable on a long-term basis” (The Press, November 19, 2011). The wheel’s owners now want this limit abandoned, although residents’ objections have not diminished.
I’m not surprised, because big wheels are a financial risk. The two previous owners in York both went bankrupt. The new owners, Freij Entertainment of Dubai (under investigation in the UAE after a fatal wheel accident on January 17) seem to think they’re entitled to another summer in York to improve their fortunes.
They should accept that along with the wheel they inherited a limitation on its stay, imposed for good reasons.
I trust our councillors will stand firm and require the wheel’s new owners to abide by the original agreement.
John Heawood, Eastward Avenue, Fulford, York.
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