CAMPAIGNERS against controversial proposals to bring a £3 million big wheel to a York riverside park were celebrating today, after the plans were withdrawn at the 11th hour.

Local resident Win Derbyshire, pictured, said the decision by World Tourist Attractions to drop the plans to bring a 54-metre viewing platform to Clifford Gardens, Clifford Street, could only be good news for local residents.

But World Tourist Attractions boss Elliott Hall said the company had not been put off bringing a big wheel to York.

He said they would either resubmit the current plans, or submit new ones for another, as-yet-unnamed site, which he said had been suggested by City of York Council.

Mrs Derbyshire, who lives in nearby South Esplanade, headed a group of local residents against the wheel.

She said: "We just felt Tower Gardens was an unsuitable site for a wheel of that size and we're glad it's not going to be there."

The application was due to go before a City of York planning committee last night, but campaigners were told the application had already been withdrawn.

Senior planning officers had recommended that the wheel should be turned down because it would be "over-dominant and overbearing".

They also feared it would distract motorists on the inner ring road, particularly at night when it would be illuminated.

Following a site meeting on Wednesday, officers asked for electronic modelling work to predict how the wheel may affect the flow of the river when it is in flood and the park is under water.

Mr Hall said, as a result, the company struggled to find someone able to provide the model before last night's meeting.

But Mr Hall denied it meant the company had given up on bringing a wheel to York altogether, and said officers had been "completely unreasonable" in asking for such a detailed model so late in the day.

He said: "I think some people don't actually understand and appreciate what kind of wheel we are talking about here.

"It's not some fairground attraction with flashing lights and noisy generators, but rather an observation wheel along the lines of the London Eye providing locals and visitors the chance to see York from 60 metres up."

Updated: 09:50 Friday, March 04, 2005