The wheel was a hit with some people but not with others

During the summer the market is held every Monday and Saturday and last year traders claimed moving elsewhere for three weeks affected their trade.

This year Cyffro Caernarfon want the wheel on the square for seven weeks.

The application for a licence to site the wheel is recommended for approval by Gwynedd County Council next week.

Planning permission to site the wheel on the square has already been given, but a licence from the county council - as the body responsible for site - is also needed.

The bottom line is that we have to hold events in the town centre to survive Bob Anderson, Cyffro Caernarfon

In the report due to be presented to councillors, the council's head of licensing and public protection Dilys Phillips states that whilst the wheel "was generally welcomed, there were also problems".

Stallholders had to relocate to either the entrance to Pool Street, or other land at the edge of the Square, she said.

This caused problems when traffic tried to pass.

"Many regular customers of the market do not attend when the wheel is there, and a legacy of this non attendance spilt over to the following months last year," said Ms Phillips.

She added that there was also "friction" because traders paid a rent to the council, whether they attended or not, whilst no rent was paid by the wheel operators nor Cyffro Caernarfon.

The wheel is sited next to the castle on the square

To get around the problems Ms Phillips recommends that a licence be granted but with a list of conditions, including road safety improvements, placing the wheel so that entry is from a different place and that the wheel closes at 7pm each evening.

Cyffro Caernarfon director Bob Anderson said "extensive" talks had been held between the company and market traders, who were unhappy with the wheel being at Caernarfon last year.

There would be changes made this year as a result of these talks, such as moving the entrance to the big wheel to make room for more traders beside it, he said.

"We did an evaluation report on the event and interviewed 50 business in the town who all said it had brought more people in.

"The bottom line is that we have to hold events in the town centre to survive," he added.