Great Yarmouth slingshot attraction could be removed from seafront
Some have called it 'unsightly'
It has been catapulting thrill-seekers into the sky for years, but now Great Yarmouth’s Slingshot ride is under threat of being ejected from the town’s Golden Mile because council officers believe it is “unsightly”.
The 45m high structure, in South Beach Gardens, has been a summer fixture of the seafront since 2017.
It returned in March this year and the owners hope it can stay in situ until November 2026.
Despite it being a mainstay of the seafront for several years – and the fact it is already erected on council-owned land – the future of the attraction is now uncertain due to the complaints from Great Yarmouth Borough Council conservation experts.
According to official documents, the authority’s conservation officer has objected due to the “harm caused to the significance of the surrounding heritage assets.”
They branded it “unsightly” and said it contributed negatively and cluttered the character of the area.
“This is due to the accumulative effect of unsympathetic structures within the setting of important and significant listed and non-designated heritage assets,” the official added.
The Slingshot was erected without prior permission and now members of the planning committee are due to decide whether or not to allow it to stay for the next two years.
It is located close to the Grade II listed Winter Gardens and Royal Hotel – two of Yarmouth’s landmark coastal buildings.
Councillors will have to balance whether or not the perceived harm it causes to the area outweighs the positive benefits it brings as a tourist attraction.
An agent for the owner of the Slingshot ride insists it is respectful to the surroundings, calling it a “distinct artefact instead of a pastiche of its surroundings”.
It is one of many attractions along Yarmouth’s seafront, which also include the Sea Life Centre, arcades and the Pleasure Beach amusement park.
The development management committee will decide its fate on Wednesday.