Editing London Eye (section)

===Opening===
The London Eye was formally opened by the Prime Minister [[Tony Blair]] on 31 December 1999, but did not open to the paying public until 9 March 2000 because of a capsule clutch problem.<ref name=cnnbirthday/>

The London Eye was originally intended as a temporary attraction, with a five-year lease. In December 2001, operators submitted an application to [[Lambeth London Borough Council|Lambeth Council]] to give the London Eye permanent status, and the application was granted in July 2002.<ref name='Londonist 2017'>{{cite news |url=https://londonist.com/london/history/london-eye-trivia |publisher=[[Londonist]] |title=11 Fun Facts About The London Eye |last=Craig |first=Zoe |date=17 January 2017 |access-date=10 October 2018}}</ref><ref name='BBC 2001'>{{cite news |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/1701602.stm |title=London Eye aims to go permanent |date=10 December 2001 |access-date=10 October 2018}}</ref><ref name='BBC 2002'>{{cite news |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/2132042.stm |title=London Eye 'to stay' |date=16 July 2002 |access-date=17 April 2025}}</ref>