Brighton Wheel could return to the eastern seafront
The Brighton Wheel could turn again on its original Madeira Drive site as early as summer 2027
One of the eastern seafront's best-loved attractions could be making a comeback. The Brighton Wheel, taken down almost a decade ago, looks set to turn again on Madeira Drive as early as next summer, if councillors give the plan the green light next month.
Brighton & Hove City Council is considering handing the family-run business behind the Brighton Zip and Daltons Venue a 25-year lease to build and operate the wheel on its original site. The decision goes to a Cabinet meeting on 17 September, and if it is approved, the operator will apply for planning permission and aim to have the wheel running by summer 2027.
Back on its original site
The wheel first arrived on the eastern seafront in 2011 and quickly became a familiar landmark, offering enclosed views out across the Channel and back over the rooftops of the city. Its lease came to an end in 2016, when it was dismantled to clear the way for the i360 under a previous administration.
The same operators have kept the seafront Zip Wire and cafe running in the years since. Under the new proposal, the Zip Wire would stay exactly where it is, and the wheel would be built back on the spot it stood before.
"Brighton became Brighton because people came here to have fun by the sea. That's part of our identity, and we should be ambitious about what a great seaside city looks like for the next generation."
Councillor David McGregor, Cabinet member for Economy, Culture, Heritage and Tourism
Jeffrey Sanders, who runs the Brighton Zip and Daltons Venue, with Councillor David McGregor
Councillor McGregor framed the return as part of the wider regeneration of Madeira Drive rather than a nod to the past. Bringing the wheel back, he said, was about taking something people loved and making it part of the next phase of the seafront, giving visitors another reason to come to the east of the city, stay longer and spend more time there.
What happens next
Fifteen years on the seafront
The team behind the plan is not new to Madeira Drive. They have run attractions on this stretch for more than 15 years and say they have invested over £1.3 million in the site, building the Zip Wire, strengthening the base that supported the original wheel, and contributing to other improvements along the seafront. They also run the grassroots music venue Daltons Bar and Cabaret from the building below the current cafe, and hold the lease for the site.
"We believe the Brighton Wheel can once again become a much-loved part of Brighton's seafront, bringing families and visitors to Madeira Drive, supporting neighbouring businesses and complementing the fantastic attractions already here."
Jeffrey Sanders, owner and operator of the business at Daltons Bastion
General Manager Delso Da Silva said the team was "over the moon" at the prospect of bringing the wheel back, and looked forward to working with the council to make its return a reality.
What it means for the council
Under the proposed lease, the operator would take on all of the running costs, staffing, maintenance and day-to-day trading. In return, the council would receive a guaranteed commercial rent for the length of the 25-year lease, money it says would help fund the upkeep of the seafront and wider improvements across the city.
The plan sits within the council's Seafront Development Prospectus, which sets out where new investment and visitor attractions could strengthen different stretches of the coast. The return of the wheel would form part of a family-focused leisure offer on this part of the seafront, sitting alongside the attractions already there.
If Cabinet approves the lease on 17 September, the next step is planning permission, with the operator aiming to have the wheel back in action by summer 2027.
The proposal will be decided at the council's Cabinet meeting on 17 September. We will bring you the outcome once councillors have voted.
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