The London Eye could become a permanent fixture on the capital's South Bank under new plans being proposed by it's Dorset-based owner. Poole-headquartered Merlin Entertainments, which owns and operates some of Britain's biggest attractions, has confirmed it is taking steps to secure the landmark’s future.
Created in celebration of the millennium, the Eye’s planning permission includes a condition which requires Lambeth Council - the local planning authority - to decide whether the attraction can be retained beyond 2028. Merlin Entertainments is looking to discharge the planning condition so the Eye can be kept in place permanently, it said.
Mike Vallis, Merlin’s divisional director for Midway Attractions in the UK, said the Eye had seen a "significant" return of visitors following the pandemic - and remained one of the "top go-to destinations" for people vising the country.
