Weymouth is set to get a brand new attraction as councillors said yes to a seafront Ferris wheel.

Councillors approved the application of the 15 metre attraction at a Weymouth and Portland Borough Council planning committee meeting yesterday.

The ‘traditional style’ Ferris wheel will be built opposite the Bond Street toilets, in a site known as A5.

In 2010, planning permission was granted for a range of beach attractions but a height restriction of eight metres was imposed on A5 with the allowance of a single attraction of up to 11 metres - namely the helter skelter.

The restrictions aimed to ‘ensure that development does not detract from the character and appearance of the town centre or listed buildings on the Esplanade’.

However, the committee approved the recommendation to alter current planning restrictions to allow for the new attraction.

Case officer Darren Rogers said: “Let’s be clear, this is not going to be the London Eye. It’s not going to be a ‘viewing wheel’ like in a lot of city centres like Birmingham. It’s effectively a fairground Ferris wheel.”

Cllr Pamela Nixon added the application was for one of the smallest Ferris wheels available.

The ‘big wheel’ will be built perpendicular to the Bond Street toilets instead of parallel with the Esplanade.

In consultation, Dorset Council’s Partnership’s conservation officer said although Bond Street was flanked by two Grade II listed terraces, it was not anticipated ‘the setting of these assets will be subject to major harm’ by the new attraction.

Cllr Sandy West said she thought the Ferris Wheel was a ‘great idea.’

“We are a seaside resort and people like to see seaside attractions. I can’t see how it’s going to be intrusive,” she said.

Mr Rogers added, like the existing attractions, the Ferris Wheel would be seasonal.

However, not everyone agreed with the plan.

In response to the application, Weymouth Civic Society opposed the attraction describing it as an ‘unsuitable intrusion into the ambience of Weymouth’s popular family beach.’

Cllr Ian Bruce said: “The London Eye received a lot of objection when it was first proposed but people wouldn’t dream of getting rid of it now.”

Cllr Christine James added: “We’ve got this issue of the conservation of traditional Weymouth and we’ve got to get over that now. What would it have looked like in Victorian times? If an attraction like this would have been there no one would have blinked an eye.”

As a member of Weymouth Civic Society, Cllr Cathy Page-Nash abstained from voting but the rest of the committee voted unanimously to approve the application.