Worthing observation wheel with viewing gondolas is recommended for approval

A planning application was submitted – by City Observations Limited – for the 44-metre-high wheel to be located on the promenade opposite Montague Place.

If approved, the attraction will operate – with viewing gondolas – from March to November until 2028.

This year, it was put up in June and took customers up into the air for the last time on Saturday, September 21, after a three-month run.

It had been suggested the wheel could be in place until November, and on social media some people asked why it had been taken down ‘early’.

A committee report was published on the Worthing Borough Council’s planning portal on Tuesday, March 18 – and the application was recommended for approval.

The document stated: “The main issue in the determination of the application is whether there are any circumstances which are sufficient to justify a different decision to those previously made, given that planning permission has been granted on three separate occasions previously for an Observation Wheel at the site.

"The existence of previous permissions is a material consideration in the determination of any subsequent applications.

“The previous permissions allowed a smaller wheel of 33 metres, a taller wheel of 46 metres, and a wheel of the same size (44 metres) which was the subject of the most recent permission granted last year.

"In this respect, it is considered that the principle of development has already been firmly established.”

The effect upon neighbouring properties has been ‘assessed during previous applications’.

"There is no right to a view under planning law and therefore the application could not be resisted on this basis,” the document added.

"The primarily open nature of the wheel and its location across the promenade from nearest properties is not considered to cause an adverse impact through overshadowing.

"The potential loss of privacy has been raised previously by some neighbouring residents (albeit not in terms of the current application as no relevant objections had been received during the statutory consultation period) but the distance to the nearest facing windows exceeds the council’s normal overlooking standards.”

The site is located within the Conservation Area and in close proximity to listed buildings and non-designated heritage assets.

Whilst the height of the structure ‘could be said to cause some limited harm’ to nearby heritage assets, officers have previously concluded that the benefits of the wheel – ‘in terms of bringing visitor activity to the town centre and seafront – outweigh such harm. Therefore, the application has bee considered to be acceptable.

A wheel of the same size was given the green light in 2024, whilst a 46-meter-high one was approved in 2019.

There has been one representation letter, submitted by a member of staff at Worthing Hospital.

This requested that the ‘large ride machine’ that was placed next to the wheel last year be ‘placed opposite Steyne Gardens or further away from the residential flats’ next to and on top of Marks and Spencer.

The letter stated the ride last year was ‘very noisy’ with screaming people ‘the whole time it was operating’ - day and night.

The committee report noted that these concerns were not relevant to the application for the wheel itself.

A final decision on the plans is set to be made on Wednesday (March 26).