Belfast's Big Wheel 'could stay for years'
Belfast's Big Wheel has been so popular it could stay in the city for years, it was revealed today.
Thousands have flocked to get a bird's eye view of the city since it was erected outside City Hall in October and demand is such that its stay is being extended .
A council spokesman said: "It has been hugely popular - more so than the one in Manchester, and given the size of the two cities that is no mean feat."
The original contract was until the end of March but a motion by the city council is being put before councillors when they meet on January 7 to have the stay extended to the end of December 2008.
Nigel Ward, boss of the company which owns the wheel, hinted the stay could be much longer.
"At some locations we have stayed for three months, at others it has been five, six or even seven years - we would hope to extend the stay in Belfast until the demand is no longer there," he said.
Remaining in Belfast through 2008 will enable the wheel to take advantage of the ever-growing number of tourists visiting the city - something it largely missed out on with its late October arrival.
Mr Ward said he had been very happy with the numbers taking a ride on the wheel.
"It has been doing well, it is a brand new site for us and it was high risk, but it has performed how we expected and we are very happy."
He refuses to say exactly how many people have been on the wheel, claiming it was "commercially sensitive" information.
It is understood that an extended stay beyond 2008 could involve a move away from City Hall towards the River Lagan, possibly to the Titanic Quarter, and perhaps with an even bigger wheel.
The wheel's popularity was helped by the continental market around City Hall in the month before Christmas - with the two attractions feeding off each other.
Provisional figures indicate the number of people visiting the market each day was up from 15,000 in 2006 to 20,000 and double that at weekends - putting it in the top 10 market attractions in the whole of Europe.
"It was a huge success, some stalls couldn't keep up with demand and sold out," said a council spokesman.
He said there could have been an increase of up to 40% in the cash take at the stalls, which made £10m (€13.75m) and generated an extra £5m (€6.87m) for other local traders last year.
Alan Hartwell, of Market Place Europe which runs the market, said: " We are over the moon with Belfast because it just keeps growing and growing. In the four years since the market started, it has got into the top 10 in Europe - it has got to that stage."
He said four of the traders with stalls in Belfast also had stalls at the Manchester Christmas Market.
"Each one said to me that Belfast was by far the more profitable for them," said Mr Hartwell.
The market is already booked for the City Hall grounds for next year and the two years after that.
"We are making improvements for next year, with a change of layout to make it more attractive."
For those who cannot wait for the market to return, Mr Hartwell said it would be back in Belfast for four days around the May Day bank holiday - preceded by three days in Newry and three in Ballycastle .
