Big wheel lighting 'yet to be finalised'

THE fun fair-style light show that has been playing out in the normally quiet corner of the Stratford-upon-Avon Recreation Ground car park since last Friday night has stoked up the debate on the somewhat controversial big wheel.

It has raised some eyebrows, including that of the chairman of Stratford District Council's west area planning committee, Cllr Mark Cargill, whose committee approved the wheel last week by seven votes to one after a 45-minute debate.

In the planning documents presented to last Wednesday's meeting there was no mention of a multi-coloured flashing light show.

When the Herald contacted Cllr Cargill earlier on Tuesday he had not seen the footage, but said Danter Attractions did not have planning permission for a light show as was described to him.

He later added that council officers were "looking into the matter".

We have also seen an e-mail to former mayor Cyril Bennis from the planning officer who handled the planning application, who wrote: "I have advised the applicants agents of the breach to the planning conditions imposed and have advised that the wheel should only be lit in accordance with the agreed levels of lighting, the agent understood the matter and was looking to advise their client on the issue today [Tuesday]. I hope that this will be sufficient to ensure the wheel is not lit in such a way again. In the event that it is, then I will look to take further steps."

When the light were reported to the council again, the planning officer replied in a further e-mail that the matter had been passed onto the council's enforcement team

And a council spokesperson said simply that planning officers had still to agree the final lighting arrangements, but that they would "accord with the planning permission".

In planning documents presented to last week's council planning committee, the lighting arrangements were described as follows: "The wheel would be fitted with 12 x 2kW High Intensity Discharge (HID) Halide Flood lights, with three lights being fitted to each of the 4 stationary fixing struts of the wheel.

"Each flood light would give 200,000 lumens of light and all would be angled towards lighting the wheels spokes. Additionally 8 x 400W Halide Floodlights (each giving 34,000 lumens) would be fitted to the primary and secondary wheel struts and would be angled towards the ground lighting the ticket office ad queue area. This is twice as many ground focused flood lights as fitted to the previous wheel.

"Individual Gondolas would each be lit with LED lighting, this would be focused lighting not designed to spill beyond the seating area. The applicant proposes that the wheel would only be lit during twilight hours."

Emily Danter, of Danter Attractions, has told the Herald today that she does not yet know which lighting sequence will be used when the wheel opens for business, which she said is likely to be on Friday.

Speaking after the wheel was approved last week, Cllr Dave Riches, the district council's portfolio holder for enterprise and revenues, said: "The wheel gives visitors a different perspective of Stratford, with outstanding views and access for all, young and old and is a complementary attraction to the existing businesses and attractions in that location.

"Tourism is a major source of the town's prosperity and the wheel only enhances the tourist industry in the town, providing an additional attraction.

"One of the visions in the district council's core strategy for Stratford-upon-Avon is that visitors will visit the town and stay longer by expanding the cultural offer and this plays a part in achieving this.

"The wheel reinforces and promotes Stratford's role as a tourist destination by adding to the tourist offer of facilities available with the town.

"The district council also has to think about using council assets more innovatively and creatively to help plug the ever reducing government funding streams."

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