Nice thriving food market you’ve got there…be a shame if someone were to… put an odd spin on it.
A few years back we told you about the rather bizarre plans to bring a giant ‘London Eye’-style wheel to Camden Market. Things went silent for a moment, but the talk of the Camden wheel are back and look like they’re
LabTech, the landlords of the food haven, planned to deliver the piece of architecture that nobody was really clamouring for by 2022, and given the preceding lack of news, it had pretty much been forgotten about by most.
Until, that is, news broke that plans for this 131-foot wheel have been approved by the local council in a meeting on Thursday (June 7). Now, the Camden eye is one step away from becoming a reality, with it now only needing approval from London Mayor Sadiq Khan. Should he give it the green light, the garish, gyrating, giver of views will loom over the food stalls for a temporary five-year stint.
LabTech also plan to further transform Camden Lock with a brand new jetty at Dead Dog Basin, an exhibition space at East Vaults and increase the shops at West Yard.
A London Eye-style wheel by Camden Lock would have to be approved by the Mayor because it would be a building over 30 metres, and the council also noted that the scheme would need to be reviewed after one or two years.
Unsurprisingly, the move has been met with pushback from various corners that have campaigned against the wheel’s arrival.
Camden Residents Against The Wheel said: “People will be able to look into the homes of so many residents. Imagine having to leave your curtains pulled all day and night to stop tourists from peering into your window.”
The planning team at Camden Council, however, said that the move would “support the markets and in terms of diversification and refurbishment of historic buildings”.
Further complaints about the proposed scheme suggest that the London Eye-syle wheel would turn the market into a “theme park”.
Though the Camden wheel has been approved by the council, it’s not quite got the good-to-go yet, so be sure to keep a keen eye on this one. When on an innocent trip to the market soon, a cluster of pod-shaped shadows could block the sun from your seat as you tuck into a box of loaded fries (*shudders*).