Plans to move Southport’s Big Wheel to make way for new cafe

Southport’s big wheel attraction could be moved to make way for a cafe as new plans are submitted.

The proposals submitted by Supreme Attractions limited would involve moving the wheel 180m from its current location on the Esplanade in Southport to the site of a former public toilets on the edge of Princes Park.

The move would allow for the inclusion of a small cafe or bistro that would span the miniature railway at the site.

Temporary planning permission already exists for the move to the proposed site although this expires in 2025.  Documents submitted on behalf of the applicant state that moving the wheel under the current permission would not be “viable” as “this planning process and legal agreements would mean a maximum period of use of 10 months before the wheel would need to be dismantled.”

The observation wheel, which is 32.5m in diameter, would offer “spectacular views through 360º, to the beach to the west, with distant views of Blackpool to the North and the Wirral Peninsula to the South. and over the lake and Southport to the east” as well as panoramic views of the Marine Lake.

The base would include an “oversail” for the miniature railway, providing a platform for the bistro and a tunnel for the train to pass through.

According to the planning documents, the opening times of the relocated wheel would be the same as at the current site with the location chosen to ensure “long views to the coast from the Promenade and buildings on the Promenade will not be interrupted by the proposed attraction given the open cell nature of the attraction” while being “entirely consistent” with the historical context of the area is a resort town.