Ferris wheel on Whey Aye site in Newcastle.
Followers of Newcastle’s Whey Aye Wheel saga may have been forced into a double-take while strolling down the Quayside this week.
Planning permission for the controversial proposal to build Europe’s tallest ferris wheel on the banks of the Tyne expired last summer, after years of uncertainty surrounding the ambitious project.
But observers might have noticed that there is now a big wheel standing on the site of the former Spillers flour mill, where the Whey Aye would have been built.
The attraction is the centrepiece of the Valentine’s Funfair which is due to open on the riverside spot later this week.
And while the wheel’s location is rather ironic given the recent history of Spillers Wharf, it is far smaller than the gigantic proposals put forward by the World Wheel Company.
While the Whey Aye would have stood a massive 460ft tall (140m), the funfair’s wheel is a more modest 105ft (32m).
The Valentine’s Funfair is due to run from February 15 to 25, with the popular attraction returning for the first time since the Covid pandemic first hit and moving from its previous location at the Team Valley in Gateshead.
After the planning approval for the Whey Aye and the surrounding Giants on the Quayside leisure complex lapsed in June 2023 without any building work having begun, nearby residents called for a new vision to be developed for the future development of the area.
Locals in St Peter’s Basin had been vocal opponents of the contentious scheme for years.
But Jon Bryan, who chairs the St. Peter’s Neighbourhood Association, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that he had no objection to the funfair.
He said: “This is a temporary measure and local residents have been told about it. It pales into insignificance compared to the monstrosity that was planned previously.”
The funfair is promising more than 90 attractions, with most costing £2 to ride.
Joanna Jackson, from M&C Funfairs, said: “We are very community-oriented and that is what this is all about, bringing something for the kids and something a bit different. We are keeping our prices low because we know what times are like at the moment with the cost of living. We are just trying to bring some fun and enjoyment for people.”
Newcastle City Council declined to comment on Tuesday when asked about future plans for the Spillers Wharf area.
The old flour mill was a prominent feature of the riverside for decades, before it was bulldozed in 2011.
The World Wheel Company said last year that it was “still considering a number of options that will allow us to deliver Giants on the Quayside” after the planning permission expired.