Battle lines drawn over 'new London Eye' at Camden Lock

PLANS for a London Eye-style ferris wheel in Camden Lock Market have sparked controversy.

- Robert Dex Arts Correspondent

Campaign group Historic England is among those objecting to the 131ft-high wheel which would look out over a part of the Regent's Canal called Dead Dog Basin. The scheme, being considered by Camden's planning committee on Thursday, includes a new exhibition space and shops as well as a new jetty with the "temporary observation wheel" set to be in place for five years if it gets the go-ahead.

The black metal wheel, described as having an "industrial appearance", will have 15 enclosed gondolas able to hold a dozen people each. Historic England's evidence to the committee said it had concerns about the "height, bulk, scale and design of the wheel", adding: "At 40 metres high, the wheel is considered to be a tall building and would impact on the setting of heritage assets located some significant distance from the site."