A BIG wheel and a viewing tower were both briefly considered as ways of improving Bournemouth Pier, the Daily Echo can reveal.

Both suggestions – made informally to Bournemouth council by pier operators Openwide – were rejected because they were deemed impractical.

It was felt there was not enough space on the pier to accommodate a big wheel, while a tower would preclude fast flying jets from performing at the town’s air festival.

Neither suggestion has ever been made public and they have only been revealed now under the Freedom of Information Act.

The council statement said: “Informal discussions with Openwide have looked at two ideas – a big wheel and a viewing tower.

“It was apparent very early on that a wheel required too much space.

“In order to create a genuine landmark attraction, any tower would need to be many metres high – up to 100 metres if comparable to the one on Sentosa Island in Singapore.

“It remains the council’s ambition to provide an attraction on the pier and remove the pier toll but there are many hurdles to jump before it could become reality.

“For example, it would need to be technically possible, obtain a Food and Environment Protection Act (FEPA) licence from DEFRA, receive Crown Estates approval and planning permission, and most importantly be funded and economically viable.”

Openwide took over the operation of the pier two years ago and made no secret of its hopes to build some sort of landmark attraction there.

It has also revamped the cafe and the Pier Theatre.