Information about the planning process and funding of the Brighton i360.
The 162 metre viewing tower was built by the team who created the London Eye, the most visited paid-for attraction in the UK.
Work on the seafront at either side of the i360 was completed to complement the new attraction. This included:
Plans for a major development on land next to Brighton’s West Pier were submitted to the council on 17 July 2006. Additional information was submitted on 8 September 2006. Planning permission and Listed Building Consent for both applications was granted at the Planning Applications Sub-Committee on 11 October 2006, subject to approval by the Government Office for the South East.
All of the plans, drawings and other supporting documents, including the additional information submitted, can be accessed on our planning register. Go to application numbers BH2006/02369 and BH2006/02372.
The planning officer made a report to the Planning Applications sub-committee. Download our planning officer's report.
Further documentation can also be found on the 6 March 2014 Policy and Resources Committee meeting page.
To support the building of the i360, councillors agreed to take out a government loan and pass it on to developers. The loan was from the Public Works Loans Board (PWLB) – a government funding agency who made loans available to major building projects at the time.
The i360 was projected to earn 3 times more than it needed to cover its loan repayments.
In July 2022 councillors were asked to consider new terms for the loan made to the i360. The restructure meant that the council would take nearly all profits that the i360 makes in a cash sweep. This means that every six months the council takes all cash within the business, leaving only an operational cash float.
Read the i360 Loan Restructure report for P&R committee.
The i360 is holding a strategic review of the attraction to develop a new business plan and a recovery strategy. We will consider this plan at a Special Policies and Resources meeting before making decisions about the best way forward.
Read our Brighton i360 fact check news story for the latest news on the Brighton i360.