The Yarmouth big wheel scheme left councillors dizzy with enthusiasm tonight as they granted it planning consent.

The Yarmouth big wheel scheme left councillors dizzy with enthusiasm tonight as they granted it planning consent.

With giant sand sculptures on the beach barely complete and donkeys limbering up for their long-awaited return to the Golden Mile this weekend, attention turned today to the latest proposed attraction for the resort's seafront.

And, despite complaints from neighbours that the 65m-diameter wheel would ruin their view, Yarmouth borough councillors queued up to heap praise on the £1m project.

The wheel, which would be the second-largest in England after the London Eye, standing as tall as the hands on the Big Ben clock, was granted planning permission in a unanimous vote.

Senior planner Ed Guilder told the development control committee that officials could not see it causing any problems to local people.

“This is an appropriate location for an attraction of this sort,” he said. “It's at the most seaward point of the borough, and we don't believe it will have any effect on television reception because of its hollow nature.

“In terms of noise pollution, the potential of whoops of delight that people will inevitably let out as they experience the views of our wonderful seafront will be contained as everyone will be in pods.”

Mick Castle said: “I think it's a fantastic attraction for the town.

“This is something that will revitalise that end of the Pleasure Beach, and it says something for Yarmouth that we can get something of this scale.”

Valerie Pettit said: “As ward councillor, I really don't have any objection to it. It will liven the south end of the town up.”

And Patrick Cook said: “It's a wonderful idea - one of the best things that's happened to Yarmouth for many years.”

Pleasure Beach owner Albert Jones, who did not attend the committee meeting, has said previously that plans to build the wheel by the end of the summer season would have to be shelved because of delays in the planning process. He was not available today to say whether that would be possible again, now planning permission had been granted.