On Air Now

This is the Coast

Midnight - 8:00am

  • 01723 336444

Now Playing

Hall And Oates

I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)

Download

Wheel and Golf Proposal for Scarborough's Futurist Site

Wednesday, 11 October 2023 16:28

By Anttoni James Numminen, Local Democracy Reporter

A 32m high observation wheel could return to Scarborough’s seafront if new plans are approved.

A controversial observation wheel could soon return to the site of the former Futurist Theatre on Foreshore Road in Scarborough if plans are approved by North Yorkshire Council.

Observation Wheel UK has proposed that the wheel and an 18-hole adventure golf course occupy the site on a seasonal basis until October 2025.

The operator had previously been granted permission for the wheel to operate on the signature spot for three years but the deal ended in 2023, putting the future of the attraction in doubt.

The 32-metre high wheel first arrived in 2019 and has given visitors birds-eye views of the town’s South Bay and North Sea.

Submitted plans state that it will carry 24 “evenly spaced gondolas each on an individual axel” which allows them to “hang freely and remain level while the wheel is rotating”.

The wheel has been criticised by residents over its location and appearance but has proved popular with tourists.

The 18-hole Captain Jack’s Adventure Golf course would be positioned directly adjacent to the observation wheel and would be operated by the same company.

A supporting structure with decking, ramp access, and a ticket office would also be installed.

The site is located on Foreshore Road, between St Nicholas’ Gardens and Coney Island amusement centre, on land that was previously occupied by The Futurist Theatre

The theatre closed in 2014 and was demolished four years later.

The applicant has stated that the wheel “should provide the public with an entirely new appreciation for the surrounding Scarborough conservation area”.

North Yorkshire Council has not yet made a decision on the planning application.

Did you find this article useful?

This is the Coast is committed to providing a daily local news service for the Yorkshire Coast. We are a small locally owned and operated business which employs professional journalists and reporters. We do not receive any public funding or grants and we are entirely funded by our local commercial operations. We enjoy fabulous support from local businesses who work with us on their advertising and marketing campaigns, but the cost of providing high quality, well researched, fact checked local news coverage is significant.

If you appreciate what This is the Coast does, and would like to help support our journalism, please consider supporting us on a monthly basis today.

A small contribution from all our readers would really help support independent journalism for the Yorkshire Coast.

More from Yorkshire Coast News

Comments

Add a comment

Log in to the club or enter your details below.

Follow Us

Get Our Apps

Our Apps are now available for iOS, Android and Smart Speakers.

  • Available on the App Store
  • Available on Google Play
  • Just ask Amazon Alexa
  • Available on Roku

Today's Weather

  • Scarborough

    Sunny

    High: 9°C | Low: 6°C

  • Filey

    Sunny

    High: 9°C | Low: 6°C

  • Whitby

    Sunny

    High: 9°C | Low: 2°C

  • Bridlington

    Sunny

    High: 10°C | Low: 6°C

  • Hornsea

    Sunny

    High: 9°C | Low: 7°C

  • Driffield

    Sunny

    High: 11°C | Low: 4°C

News