Could Edinburgh's festive big wheel open in June?

A bid to house a Ferris wheel in Edinburgh's city centre for six months of the year has sparked concern from a heritage watchdog.

Unique Assembly currently has planning consent to run the big wheel attraction in Princes Street Gardens from 4 November until 4 January.

The events company behind Edinburgh's Christmas now wants the 46m high ride to be in place between June and December.

But heritage watchdog Cockburn Association has warned the move could turn the famous gardens into a permanent fairground attraction.

An event application, which precedes a planning application, has been lodged with City of Edinburgh Council to build the ride in its usual site in East Princes Street Gardens from June and operate it through the summer.

The Herald reported that it would shut for a brief period in November for Remembrance Day events in the gardens before resuming for Christmas.

Princes Street Gardens are within the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Terry Levinthal, director of heritage watchdog Cockburn Association, told BBC Scotland News he was cautious about the plans.

"It's important that Princes Street Gardens remain presented as gardens," he said.

"What we would be cautious about is the gardens shifting into being more of a permanent fairground attraction.

"We've accepted it happens during the winter festivals and that's quite a long period of time. We would need to see the justification for it."

Mr Levinthal added that he was "concerned" about the "over commodification" of Edinburgh's public spaces.

"We would be looking at any extension to operate the big wheel with a degree of concern and we would want to see the business case for it because I would need to be convinced that the disruption it would continue to bring to the gardens would be worth it to the city," he said.

"And we certainly don't accept arguments it would present a great way to see the panorama of the city because Edinburgh already has many places where you can get that panoramic view for free."

The big wheel costs £10 for adults, £8 for children and £30 for a family of four.

The council's public spaces events process seeks views from community groups in the area.

A spokesman for Unique Assembly said: "The Edinburgh big wheel has become a key feature of the Edinburgh skyline during Edinburgh's Christmas, welcoming over 185,000 locals and visitors annually to enjoy spectacular aerial views of the city.

"We are currently in early stages of discussions with partners to present the Edinburgh big wheel for a period this summer and believe this would be a hugely popular summer attraction for Edinburgh, presenting the capital in a completely different light and helping generate much-needed income for the city."