The number of people visiting Brighton and Hove is approaching figures recorded before the coronavirus pandemic, according to information presented to councillors as they approved a long-term agreement to bring back the Brighton Wheel.
Brighton and Hove City Council’s cabinet has agreed to grant a 25-year tenancy on the Dalton’s Bastion location, situated just to the east of the Palace Pier.
While the official documentation did not identify the company by name, it is anticipated that the new enterprise will have connections to Madeira Leisure Limited, which currently operates the Brighton Zip and the Dalton’s Bastion site.
This business is owned by Jayne and Jeffrey Sanders.
The couple established Bastion Entertainments Limited through Companies House registration at the close of the previous month.
During the session held at Hove Town Hall on the seventeenth of September, Labour councillor David McGregor, who serves as the cabinet member responsible for the economy, culture, heritage and tourism, expressed strong enthusiasm about the potential return of the wheel.
According to Councillor McGregor, recent data indicated that Brighton and Hove welcomed 12.2 million visitors throughout the previous year, falling just below the pre-pandemic peak of 12.4 million recorded in 2019.
He stated that efforts were underway to develop the most compelling seaside offering possible for holidaymakers and local residents alike, describing this development as potentially the next significant advancement in that effort.
McGregor confirmed that the operator would be assuming all financial expenditure and business risk associated with the facility.
Labour councillor Theresa Mackey, representing Kemptown ward, indicated that she and fellow councillor Gary Wilkinson supported the wheel’s return and the financial commitment to the district.
However, concerns were raised regarding the proposed 25-year duration, which would mean the wheel remaining on site until the year 2051.
Councillor Mackey observed that this represented a substantial pledge of publicly-owned coastal land, noting the uncertainty surrounding what the seafront would resemble in ten, fifteen or twenty-five years.
She mentioned that considerations regarding the longer-term future were already underway, acknowledging that future opportunities, challenges and concepts could not be predicted with certainty at present.
Mackey requested that the cabinet explore commencing with a reduced initial term, with the possibility of extending the agreement later.
The Labour deputy leader of the council, Jacob Taylor, reported that the proposed wheel’s return had been examined by the newly-formed Seafront Development Board, where members had expressed considerable backing for the initiative.
Taylor explained that among the objectives outlined in the board’s prospectus was an acceptance and embracing of the seafront’s capacity to provide diverse offerings throughout different sections, catering to all preferences including recreational tourist attractions such as the wheel, alongside arts and culture, hospitality, and sport, leisure and wellness facilities.
He suggested that once all these elements were in position, the seafront would rank among the finest in England, if it did not already hold that distinction.
The Brighton Wheel operated between 2011 and 2016 and attracted substantial public interest during that period.
An earlier agreement had stipulated that the wheel would not operate simultaneously alongside the i360, which was constructed and managed by Marks Barfield.
Following the Brighton i360 company’s administration, the attraction was acquired by entrepreneur Sarah Willingham’s enterprise Nightcap, with increased emphasis on food and beverage services.
A report presented to the cabinet indicated that the i360 had since become more firmly established, and that the wheel would enhance the range of current offerings while delivering an alternative experience for visitors.