A GIANT 60-metre wheel offering panoramic views of St Helier, Elizabeth Castle and St Aubin’s Bay will become the Island’s newest attraction this summer.
But its height and proposed location, at Jardins de la Mer, has worried Jersey International Air Display organiser Mike Higgins, who is concerned that it could lead to the display being cancelled.
The Jersey Eye, which will take 240 passengers on a 15-minute ride, has the approval of both Planning and the Bailiff. It will open on 1 June for five months.
The mobile wheel is due to arrive in Jersey on Monday and will be similar to the London Eye, which has become the most popular paid tourist attraction in the UK. It will, however, be smaller, at less than half the height of the London Eye.
Paul Talbot, of Creating1offs in Jersey, is the man behind the venture and has spent five months working on the project.
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26 Article Comments
this big wheel who thought of that i have been coming over to jersey for 20 years for the airshow and now this i think its a bad idear and waste of time the airshow will bring more in for the island than some big wheel?
I think this is a complete waste of time and money. Perhaps if we had the landmarks such as London it might be worth the while. If this endangers the Air display which is a major attraction for tourism where is the income benefit?
Who is paying for this monstrosity? Surely not the taxpayer or the GST fund!!!
What a load of rubbish
960 people an hour on the wheel, 8 hours a day = potentially 7680 people per day… and over 5 months? Has someone got there sums wrong? Even with the remaining tourists how will that pay for itself with our population? I would like to see the figures. Or should it be called the big black hole rather than the big wheel.
Take a look at the first sentance in the artical.
“A GIANT 60-metre wheel offering panoramic views ”
Id prefer to go onto fort Regent or westmount.
Wait til Headly le Mach writes a song about this
Jersey, stop trying to be somthing your not, just accept it!
I am not surprised to read the negative comments so far as with most new innovative ideas brought to the island they are usually shunned in this way. However, I would ask that people perhaps took another perspective on this and asked themselves, would I really go and stand on Westmount or Fort Regent to look at the view? I wouldn’t say so, so how about looking at this project as a positive step towards looking at a bigger picture for the Island - let’s not pass this off as another mindless expense for the tax payer, but consider the long term benefits of having organisers such as Mr Talbot’s forward thinking and give the wheel a chance!!
Also, I can’t imagine why the air display would be compromised as Fort Regent sits higher than this wheel is going to and I’m not sure that’s ever caused a problem. How about the notion that The Jersey Eye might just be THE best spot to watch it from?!
What another waste of tax payers money! no wonder we are up a financial creek.
What a disgrace that people can hide behind ANON!
If you have something to say be honest and put your name, rather than put people down for at least trying to do somthing FOR this Island rather than dicredit it.
Good luck to the wheel.
Great idea why only 5 months, if popular can it not remain a permanant attraction. I’ve been on the London Eye and it’s a fabulous attraction. I would certainly love to go up on the Jersey equivalant. Sure you can see the same views from other parts of the island but the convenient location makes is accessible to visitors who wouldn’t know where to go to see the view.
Forward thinking - can this be Jersey?
Why not put it at Fort Regent instead.The views would be a lot better than the roof of a cinema and a building site and wouldnt have too much effect on the Air Display. Not sure if we the taxpayer should be paying for it though as I dont suppose we would get on for free.
Yay another Jersey attraction that nobody wants, it will be a waste of time money and effort, peolpe will love it for the first 2 months then by the end of the year it will be an eye sore. sorry but please someone tell me i’m really confused whats the point in building this ????
Also, WE’RE NOT LONDON!!!
NOR ANY OTHER PART OF THE WORLD!!!
WE’RE JERSEY AND WE DO NOT NEED TO ACT LIKE SOMETHING ELSE.
OUR BEACHES ATTRACTED PEOPLE FROM FAR AWAY FOR YEARS AND YEARS. WHAT DIFFERENCE IS THIS GOING TO MAKE, BUT GIVE MORE MONEY TO THE STATES FOR ANOTHER PIECE OF RUBBISH THAT TOURISTS DONT NEED!!!!!
From
T.Vallois and Myinfernalfilth
Heaven forbid someone trying to do something new on the island!
It’s for a few weeks, not a lifetime.
The Waterfront is hardly a place of natural beauty right now so surely this wheel isn’t going to cause too much of an eyesore.
This wheel is being organised for the right reasons… All these people with negative remarks should maybe try something innovative to enhance time spent on the island rather than wasting time and energy bad mouthing someone who’s motivated enough to give something a go!
An awesome idea for the use of the dormant space at the waterfront! It’s only a shame that the typical opinions of some cynical islanders never change. Reserve me a ticket please!
When I’m old and wrinkly and sitting by the sea
(Though land fill after land fill, goodness knows where that will be!)
I sure hope that my memories of sparkling summer nights
Remind me of the Big Wheel, that came into our sights
Evenings with my sweetheart, round and round we’d reel
Watching as the tourists board to get that ‘holiday feel’
Kiddies all excited as they step into the pods
Old ladies take the moment to rest their weary bods
I hope my children’s chlidren find Jersey full of bliss
So please - bring on the Big Wheel - for memories such as this!
I think it’s a great idea and it is not a permanent fixture so why not! It really is an up hill struggle trying to get Islanders to buy into any new project and, as the tourist industry is flagging, new ventures may give the Island the injection it needs; if you don’t try you don’t know!
I feel truly disheartened as there are many entrepreneurs on the Island with innovative ideas but bureaucracy and red tape always seems to get in the way!
As someone else has mentioned, the waterfront is hardly an area of natural beauty and if they insist on reclaiming the land they may as well use it!
This is a fantastic idea! Whilst the air display is already a really great event, something like this eye would create a wider appeal on the day and simply add to the general positive atmosphere. Every public event has its logistical issues to overcome and this is simply a matter of everyone needing to work together. Hope it happens - can’t wait to take a ride on it!
Why not try something new, it is only temporary for a few months. If it doesn’t work at least something different has been tried. On the other hand it may be a huge success and be a yearly attraction!
It amuses me greatly how some people moan and complain that there is nothing to do in the Island, but as soon as anyone brings something along, out come the complainers again!
Will nothing ever please you people?
I just ask the young people of Jersey (and some older!) to respect it, and the people running it.
Well done Paul - what a fabulous idea. London eat your heart out!
i think the reason this project is being considered as a five month venture is surely because they have conceded that the local people will not be using this attraction and so must rely, as with so many other things in Jersey, on tourist income. whilst i agree, there is a need to attract more tourists to the island, i cant help but notice the waterfront complex , the radison, Jardins De Le Mare and contless other tourist based projects that have been funded by the tax payer over the past ten years. there are so many problems with this idea, its rediculous, how can you possibly compare Jersey to london. London has two out of the top five biggest airports in the world. Jersey appears to have one, sometimes, if the weathers ok. having a wheel half the size is surely ludacris when you consider our population could barely fill the national stadium in London. Isn’t it about time the States spent the people’s money on the people instead of thinking of ‘innovative’ ideas to attract the tourists which, quite frankly, dont exist. Spain or Jersey, what would you choose?
Lets put to bed a few untruths.
Firstly the Jersey eye is a private sector initiative totally funded by the people bringing it over..there is no cost to any islander.The eye owners are taking all the risk…
Secondly the waterfront is destined to be a visitor and local attraction and therefore needs to encourage forward thinking individuals who can help them develop their long term goals.
I can’t believe how unimaginative some comments are..its as if you don’t want change or something new. The eye will be an additional attraction for all..if you don’t want to use it..you have a choice. Mind you it would be great if people waited to see it before they were judgmental ..but unfortunately that doesn’t seem to be the way Jersey people are..or maybe its just the mouthy minority!! het ho lets wait and see
I think the wheel is a fantastic idea! The wheel in London has become one of the city’s biggest attractions - I bet everyone who comes to Jersey will jump on this one. Very very cool!
I don’t see the point in this attraction (the big wheel) if it puts at risk one of Jersey’s best attractions - the airshow. I do hope Mike Higgins will be able to go ahead with the display or if the Big Wheel is causing a safety issue with the display arena then WEB take it down for a few days. I won’t be at all impressed if the airshow doesn’t go ahead - I’ve already booked the very expensive ferry tickets for our visit.
Judith
have no fear the airshow will be here!!!
It has already been established both by the air authorities and indeed Mike Higgins that the wheel in no way compromises what is one of our greatest annual events…I reiterate (from before) lets see the eye assembled see it in operation, see the success or otherwise and then make our personal judgement
I plan to visit the Island for the first time this summer - so what better way of me getting a feel for the place!?
I live in Worthing, Sussex and this spring we had 3000 tons of wood dumped on our beach after it fell off a ship down the coast - disaster? no way, this turned out a brilliant way of attracting people to the town, it was on the news across the globe and now it’s gone people still talk about it.
come on Jersey get behind a guy with some vision; give mr talbot a pat on the back for trying something new - if it’s a flop then start your email ear bashing in 5 months time.
until then fly the air display in a new formation (surely after all these years of having the display this “obsticle” might breath new life into the same old thing)
oh … and give me a wave when I’m the only sad man on the wheel - NOT - this will be BIG you see - have vision!
ENJOY THE VIEW!
I went on this very wheel at the fairground in Nottingham.
I don’t see why it’s £7 over here. I paid £5 as an adult, £3 for kids and free for under 3yr olds!?!
That’s £28 for 10 mins for the average family of 4!
Think the wheel looks great.
What a load of fuss that has been made about this. Typical Jersey!
JEP as normal tries and stirs things up with silly headlines referring to London Eye/Jersey Eye, nothing like the size of London Eye.
JEP seems to be going along the lines of The Sun nowadays ‘Google to Set-up in Jersey’ oh yeah, as if.
JEP should spend more time getting the facts behind the stories, rather then using direct quotes from press releases. Like ‘Jersey Telecoms to give free upgrades’, when if fact a service setting is sent to customers phones, Big Deal!!