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The architect behind the London Eye looks set to see its designs for a 175m-high viewing tower on Brighton seafront built after the local council plugged a gap in funding.

Brighton and Hove council last week agreed to a 拢15m loan to the i360 tower project - proposed as the highest observation tower outside London - which has been on the drawing board for six years.

The 拢38m scheme, which has planning permission and the rest of the funding needed, is now expected to start on site before the end of the year by a team including main contractor Hollandia, engineer and project manager Jacobs, civils contractor Graham Construction and pod manufacturer Poma.

Architect David Marks, of Marks Barfield Architects which devised the project and the earlier London Eye, said he was 鈥渄elighted鈥� by the council鈥檚 loan, which is in addition to a 拢3m loan from the Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership.

鈥淏righton and Hove is an amazing council,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 green-led and although it鈥檚 a coalition, they work together.鈥�

He added that getting the project to this stage had been a major struggle.

鈥淲e started the London Eye in a recession and with i360, we鈥檝e had a recession in the middle, which hasn鈥檛 helped.鈥�

The i360鈥檚 observation pod will rise to 141m using a low-energy system with the slender tower boasting facilities at its base including a shop and cafe.