Developer World Wheel Company, which is planning to build Europe’s tallest observation wheel on Newcastle Quayside, has appointed nine professional services advisers located in the North East and Yorkshire to help deliver the project.
Standing nearly 460 ft (140 m) high, the observation wheel – dubbed ‘The Whey Aye’ in celebration of its location – will be 16 ft (5 m) taller than the London Eye. It is anticipated that the project would see more than £100m invested in the city and up to 550 jobs created.
In addition, the proposed development will see the creation of a new destination food and beverage experience for Newcastle, a world-leading visitor attraction, a family entertainment centre and a multi-purpose play and sports complex, with covered five-a-side pitches and tennis courts, as well as a state-of-the-art virtual golf club.
These will all be located adjacent to The Whey Aye and the development will cover 344,500 sq ft (32,000 sq m) in total.
The Newcastle-headquartered businesses appointed to advise are brand strategy and marketing communications agency SHA, commercial law firm Muckle, international design practice Ryder Architecture and retail property consultants @Retail.
The business banking arm of Barclays Bank, Leeds-based public relations, content and social media agency Brand8 PR, geotechnical and environmental consultancy Golder, national planning and development consultancy Lichfields and international transport planning group Systra complete the project team.
Commenting on the appointments, Phil Lynagh, chief executive officer of World Wheel Company’s Newcastle operation, said: “We believe we have assembled the strongest possible team of professional advisers to help us deliver our proposed development.
“Each of the organisations are highly regarded in their respective fields. Working together they make an outstanding collective focused on enabling one of the most exciting investment and regeneration projects in the UK.”
According to the World Wheel Company, the observation wheel will offer 30-minute ‘flights’ and there are plans to accommodate more than 800,000 visitors in its first year. The entire development will only take 18 to 24 months to build, once planning has been formally approved.
The wheel will also feature a world-record breaking 11,960 sq yd (10,000 sq m) LED digital display as its centre piece, which will be used to communicate information about local culture and events as well as social media content and advertising.
With its head office in Hong Kong, China, World Wheel Company has established a base in Newcastle on Leazes Park Road, from where the design, construction and operation of the new developments on the Quayside will be managed.
A detailed planning application relating to the wheel and visitor attractions is due to be submitted to Newcastle City Council later this year by World Wheel Company.
