THE BRIGHTON Wheel could remain as a rival attraction to the i360 after council officers backed a bid for the 45 metre attraction to stay until May 2021.

Brighton and Hove City Council planning officers have backed Paramount Entertainments' bid to extend their temporary planning permission allowing the attraction to remain on Brighton seafront for a further five years.

The application has met strong opposition from several council departments and tourism bosses over fears that the wheel will impact on the success of the i360 when it opens next summer.

But 84 letters of support have also been received praising the views from the attraction, wheel bosses' cooperation with schools and charities and the possibility it could offer families a cheaper alternative to the i360.

Planning officers have stated that competition with a rival attraction is not a planning consideration and there no grounds within existing planning policy to refuse permission.

The application will come before the city council’s planning committee under new chairwoman Julie Cattell next Wednesday.

For more on this story see tomorrow’s Argus.