Amber Rudd held a summit, re The Pier, over the weekend

https://www.amberrudd.co.uk/news/mp-holds-summit-discuss-hastings-pier

.......................

Amber Rudd MP said: “This was a productive meeting ............

“It has come to my attention only recently that there will be a delay to the owner’s planning applications due to Hastings Borough Council owning two pieces of land by the pier. I hope that the planning department will recognise the urgency behind this process and engage positively with the owner.” [hmm?]

...........................

Cllr Peter Chowney said: “........  I remain concerned however about the lack of clarity in both short and longer term plans for the pier, and its relationship with the Friends of Hastings Pier, the council, and the wider public.........

Mr Gulzar said "....... Naturally we wish to reopen the pier as quickly as possible and look forward to working with stakeholders to achieve this objective. "

Steve Wilkins commented: “Our pier ....... was resurrected through a huge amount of local community time and effort .......... By working with the community, Mr Gulzar could gain trust from residents and in turn, their support.....”

Rachel McCarthy from Friends of Hastings Pier said: “Friends of Hastings Pier played a key role in the restoration of Hastings Pier and remain open to any constructive engagement that means the community can be confident that it is well cared for and the people of Hastings benefit from the pier they worked so hard to rebuild.

“........... the Pier’s owner met community representatives... and heard their concerns and questions regarding the Pier closure, insurance cover and future plans..........” 

Way to go!!! If only....

Sound & Production For The Hastings Pier Weekend

https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/sound-production-hastings-pier-weekend

....... it’s got to be said that — after such a prolonged gap — having large-scale music events on Hastings Pier once again is fantastic news for the town and its local economy. The concerts in both April and May 2016 were largely welcomed by the majority of the seaside resort’s residents and it surely won’t be long before Hastings is well and truly back on the mainstream gigging circuit.

“I spoke to a lot of people outside the gate during the weekend and everyone was saying, ‘Oh, this is great, it’s amazing! I love that this is happening for Hastings. It’s nice to see everyone coming together and coming down here!’” adds Lewis Hughes. “I think that the local people will — on one level or another — appreciate that something like this is once again going on at the pier with bands and artists that people are familiar with. Hopefully, over time, there will be something for everybody. Let’s see how it goes from here!”

Call for a parliamentary review

FOHP has begun a campaign to scrutinise the laws around community assets that have being sold off without consideration for local community interests.

https://www.civilsociety.co.uk/news/hasting-pier-campaigners-looking-to-prevent-future-sell-offs.html?mc_cid=a72810f414&mc_eid=4a6a4f1382

A spokesperson for FOHP said: “We are campaigning for a parliamentary review of the administration process relating to community assets.

“At the moment, administrators have to apply purely commercial considerations even when there has been considerable community investment and involvement, as was the case with the pier.

“This is clearly inappropriate. We are seeking a change of the law so that community interests can be taken in to account in future. This will not help us but may hopefully prevent what we went through happening to others.”

The local group wrote to Amber Rudd, MP for Hastings and Rye, requesting an inquiry into policy implications that arise from it for the operation of the Community Right to Bid and the other community rights enshrined in the Localism Act.

Amber Rudd, MP for Hastings and Rye, has passed FOHP’s request for an inquiry to Clive Betts, chair of the Housing, Communities and Local Government select committee in September.

Betts said in his response that scrutiny of the Localism Act would likely have to follow the government’s publication of a memorandum assessing the operation of the act so far, which he hoped would happen soon.

- See more at: https://www.civilsociety.co.uk/news/hasting-pier-campaigners-looking-to-prevent-future-sell-offs.html?mc_cid=a72810f414&mc_eid=4a6a4f1382#sthash.bxJwBQrS.dpuf

False News!

Across the journalistic spectrum the Daily Mail article, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6605009/After-self-styled-Sheik-bought-famous-pier-just-60-000-left-locals-fuming.html, has been picked up, and somehow, in almost every case, turned into "angry protesters protest Pier closure"

The truth!

A group, a very large group, of ex-Pier volunteers, dogs, children and the general public assembled, to demostrate their love for the Pier and the town in which they live.  It was a joyous, positive occasion.

Maybe there was one angry protester, but he certainly wasn't part of the group, and true to the ethos of the day, I won't mention his name at this point.

Making It Happen: New Community Architecture 30 January – 29 April 2019

Free entry

RIBA Architecture Gallery, 66 Portland Place, London, W1

How are architects working directly with community groups to create inspiring local buildings and places during times of economic and political austerity?

In this exhibition four immersive installations fill the RIBA’s central London gallery, giving visitors an experiential opportunity to find out more about some of the UK’s new and inspiring community architecture projects. Making It Happen: New Community Architecture tells the stories behind four new public spaces – Hastings Pier, Coniston Mechanics Institute, Old Manor Park Library and Loch Lomond National Park.

Hastings Pier by dRMM in Sussex, England, UK:

photo © Hastings Pier Charity

In the wake of local funding cuts and shifting priorities, private ownership of public buildings and spaces has escalated and alternative approaches to designing and funding spaces for the public realm are emerging. In response, communities have come together to fight to keep buildings open and functioning, mobilising to campaign and fundraise in the face of closure or catastrophe. Current crowd-funding campaigns for public buildings will be featured in the exhibition and visitors will be invited to contribute what buildings or spaces they would like to reinvigorate or create in their local area.

Architects have been challenged to respond to these circumstances by conceiving new ideas for the design or re-design of existing spaces. In the process architects have become both activist and educator, championing the cause and helping to galvanise the support of the local community.

The four projects featured in this exhibition examine the diverse roles that architects have played in working with communities around the UK. Each example demonstrates a pragmatic response, creating flexible public buildings that give scope for further development. All of the selected schemes demonstrate the extensive engagement of the architects, sometimes continuing beyond the finished construction:

• Hastings Pier – designed by dRMM Architects (2016)

• Coniston Institute, Cumbria by Grizedale Arts (2017)

• Old Manor Park Library, East London by APPARATA (2015)

• The Lookout, Loch Lomond National Park by Processcraft (2014)

Smith & Williamson defended their decision......

......., which they said was taken in consultation with the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Mr Gulzar’s offer had been ‘carefully reviewed’, they told the Mail, and his ability to transact quickly at a time when the pier was making huge losses — together with his ‘proven track record’ — had counted in his favour. [No mention of due diligence then!}

This article from the Daily Mail https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6605009/After-self-styled-Sheik-bought-famous-pier-just-60-000-left-locals-fuming.html has many innacuracies, bad spelling and poor grammar included  - but there are some true gems worth the read.

• "Mr Wheeler says the main reason staff left was because the new owner declined to pay for vital maintenance to protect the pier’s cast-iron ‘legs’ – which have withstood the tide since the 1870s — from corrosion.
  
  Up to £70,000 a year should have been set aside for maintenance, he said, but in four months, Mr Gulzar forked out just £395.  ‘Everyone gave him a chance after he got control, but we loved the pier so much that what he was doing was just disheartening,’ Mr Wheeler said.  ‘Everything that was aspirational about the project was suddenly washed away.’
  
• Mr Gulzar strenuously denies all these claims."

[Peter Wheeler, the Pier Engineer, initially during reconstruction, and then ongoing, spent much of his own time and money expressing his love for the Pier.  He was a joy to work with, and always helpful and responsive.]

• "Then, in November, a fire broke out in the pavilion restaurant — fortunately it was quickly extinguished. Mr Gulzar is convinced it was arson although Sussex Police say it was caused by an ‘electrical fault’ which was not ‘suspicious’."

• ‘Lord’ Brett McLean, [says] it will re-open on Valentine’s Day.  There would be new huts selling traditional seaside fare, a dome for concerts and a jetty for boat trips to Eastbourne Pier.
  But he had to make a profit, so, yes, there might be a slot machine arcade, too. 
• I put my money where my mouth is,’ he [Mr. Gulzar] says. 

And so did many of us, in some cases, a widow's mite!

Amber Rudd at If You Love The Pier Then Join The Queue

 “It is essential that the community is involved at every opportunity with the pier, and I know we are all hoping for it to be re-opened as soon as possible.

I will be holding a summit later in the month to explore the options of partially re-opening the pier and ensuring that residents are kept in the loop.“

I felt that the event was a success, and residents were able to relay their questions and concerns to the owner.”

Read more at: https://www.hastingsobserver.co.uk/news/crowd-queues-to-show-love-for-hastings-pier-1-8768338

Peter Chowney, the leader of Hastings Borough Council......

.....was present at Saturday’s demonstration and reminded Mr Gulzar that Hastings Pier is a Grade II listed structure and ‘that he should work closely with council planning staff to make sure he put in all the right planning and listed building consent applications in advance, rather than retrospectively’.

 “I asked him to provide the council with a full list of the repairs that made it necessary to close the pier, so we could be reassured that none of the maintenance and repair issues could result in the pier becoming a dangerous structure.  I also said that he should reach out more to local people, and share his plans and ideas with them. “

 “Mr Gulzar has sated, to me and publicly, that he has ambitious plans for their pier, with proposals that include replacing the eastern pavilion,[?] installing a new building at the pier head[?], and a landing stage for boat trips[YES!] to his other pier in Eastbourne. All of these are potentially good [??[ ideas, and I look forward to seeing the plans for them.”

Read more at: https://www.hastingsobserver.co.uk/news/crowd-queues-to-show-love-for-hastings-pier-1-8768338

A Missed Opportunity

Herein may lie the answer....

... thanks to Hastings Independent Press

Roger Wade, founder and CEO of pop-up street food and events company Boxpark had submitted plans to invest £10 million to restore the pier to its former glory as a major events venue, HIP can reveal.

The bid was the only one which had the full backing of Hastings Borough Council and involved further renovation, the creation of a food and drink retail area and plans to build a major events area.

However, administrators Smith and Williamson told Mr. Wade – whose bid was submitted by the stated deadline and whose company is involved in large regeneration projects in Croydon, Shoreditch and Wembley – they would not give him a six week period to do proper due diligence.  

[Remember, the Administration period actually finished in December 2018, before the asministrators drew it to an end by disposing of the pier.)

The company had already carried out extensive consultation with HBC and had been in touch with rival community bidders Friends of Hastings Pier to gain their backing, should their bid be successful. 
But despite having plans to spend £100,000 on carrying out further consultation regarding planning, licensing,  structural surveys and community consultation, administrators told Mr. Wade they just wanted bids that were subject to no due diligence.

https://www.hastingsindependentpress.co.uk/news/shambolic/ 

A Gathering of Aficionados to Show Their Love and Affection for The Pier, 12th March 2019

...and there are more behind, a lovely occasion.

The (failed) FOHP Bid

In brief, it was a co-investing shared venture between FOHP Trust and a commercial operator, backed with £750k of guaranteed finance, alongside current funding bids or approaches from funders totalling £450k, with dRMM contributing £60-90k of design work, plus a comprehensive funding search by an Institute of Fundraisers expert showing we could ‘absolutely’ raise £1.6M capital to achieve and open a permanent building within 3 years. We could start straight away – dRMM had pulled an all-nighter for us and designed a beautiful but simple and cheap temporary structure.

In terms of operational capacity not only were we committed to working with the current team of staff and volunteers who have done so much to make this season a success so far, but our operator partner would bring in additional expertise and experienced staff to fill gaps and cope with a step-change in visitor numbers.

Our approach made a full commitment to prioritise maintenance and to sustain the in-house engineering team which holds the crucial ‘corporate memory’ of the pier.

(for more information search this blog for fohp plans

Hastings Pier Digital Memories

http://www.hastingspierarchive.org.uk/

dRMM breaks silence as row escalates over Hastings Pier closure

‘Dismayed’

https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/dismayed-drmm-breaks-silence-as-row-escalates-over-hastings-pier-closure/10038715.article?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1547028368

As things stand....

1. Mr. Gulzar couldn’t open the pier at the moment, there is no one available without new recruitment, as the then staff left on masse on Christmas Eve.
2. No opening date promised (not even to walk on the pier).
3. No on-going maintenance team. (There are already loose beams/struts falling onto the beach).
4. No published long-term plans (other than 5 Skinners sheds).
5. From a recent BBC interview he appears to believe that you first erect your buildings, then apply for planning permission.
6.  
7. Mr. Gulzar failed to fill out planning permission forms adequately and the council had to make him re-apply - one of his claims for not being able to re-open
8. As far as is known, no insurance (other than employers' liability).
9. No pier head-light to warn shipping (though this is mandatory and has been missing for several months).
10. No sign of the “millions” of investment that was promised (indeed Mr. Gulzar has said that the 5 sheds are necessary to be able to fund a building).
11. No apparent attempt to foster good employer/employee relations (there are five cases coming up before industrial tribunal).
12. No contact with the community. 
13. (FOHP met with him on Jan 1st. but were told that it is “His pier to do with what he wants” - which is true, but good community relations, open and honest answers to relevant questions, would stand him in good stead.).

Friends of Hastings Pier (FOHP) - Well worth the read!

https://hastingsvoluntaryaction.org.uk/sites/default/files/attachments/1.%20Friends%20Plan%20for%20Hastings%20Pier_0.pdf

COMMERCIALLY CONFIDENTIAL © Friends of Hastings Pier 2018 1 Friends Plan for Hastings Pier May    2018 CONTENTS
Executive Summary
1.    The Core of the Plan
 1.1. The Assets we have
 1.2 The Threats we face
 1.3 Protecting the pier for another 150 years
 1.4 Our USPs
2.    A Big, Bold Vision for the Top
 2.1 Underlying Themes
 2.2 Re-visualising the Pier
3.    Transition: how do we get from here to there?
 3.1 Running a Tight Ship
 3.2 Governance & engagement
 3.3 Keeping the pier open – the meanwhile offer
 3.4 Human resource review
 3.5 Operations & logistics
 3.6 Implementing Phase 2
4.      Financials
 4.1 Transition financials – understanding the scale of losses
 4.2 Capital requirement – achieving Phase 2
 4.3 Steady state financials – commercial sustainability & growth
 4.4 Financing strategy
 4.5 Social capital – people and relationships
Appendices

Due Diligence? Pier sold 15th June 2018......

...but decision didn't have to be taken until December 2018.

Eastbourne Pier owner Sheikh Abid Gulzar in court on tax matters ...

https://www.theargus.co.uk/.../14547104.Eastbourne_Pier_owner_Sheikh_Abid_Gulz...

9 Jun 2016 - Eastbourne Pier owner Sheikh Abid Gulzar has appeared in court and denied two allegations in connection with tax matters.

Eastbourne pier and hotels owner loses appeal in row over taxes ...

https://www.eastbourneherald.co.uk/.../eastbourne-pier-and-hotels-owner-loses-appeal...

20 Aug 2018 - HMRC issued a notice of requirement to give security to Abid Gulzar in March 2017 – action taken when there are cases of serious ...

SHEIKH GULZAR: The debt gets personal – Hastings Independent ...

https://www.hastingsindependentpress.co.uk/news/sheikh-gulzar-the-debt-gets-personal/

24 Aug 2018 - Sheikh Abid Gulzar, recent controversial buyer of Hastings Pier, told HIP in ... while trading as unincorporated sole proprietor of Eastbourne hotels Boship ... But, unsurprisingly, HMRC take the opposite view – and they have ...

'Sheikh' of Eastbourne's historic pier bans picnics and dog walkers ...

https://www.telegraph.co.uk › News

31 Jul 2016 - Hotelier Abid Gulzar caused fury in Eastbourneafter painting the pier's dome and ornamental lions in gold 

When in March 2019?

Community group calls for answers over Hastings Pier closure

Pier to close until March for essential repairs

More than 1,000 sign petition to reopen Hastings Pier

Amber Rudd calls for ‘urgency’ in reopening Hastings Pier

Hastings Pier closure ‘could have been handled better’ says council leader

A Thought!

Maybe the reason why the administrators drew the process to a close early, is because HPC funds were exhausted (or were they paid by the Council) and so they could no longer claim amounts which, to the man in the street (the term man here used in the generic sense) were simply extortionate.

Here We Go Again!

One of the reasons for the existence of this blog was to provide in one place information for anyone interested in a case history of the pier, whether historical, architectural, community action or business based.

So I feel it is incumbent upon me to address to a certain extent the current situation.

At this point I reiterate that we cannot blame Mr. Gulzar for the decision of the administrators (Adam Stephens and Finbar O'Connell) to award him the sale.  (Land Registry shows the amount paid to be £60,000)

However, I would like to remind him of some of his statements (paraphrased) when he turned up and took over the floor at the inaugural meeting of the Friends of Hastings Pier (mark II)

• I don't want to buy Hastings Pier.
• I can't afford to buy Hastings Pier, even if I wanted to, even the gold rings on my fingers do not belong to me!
• If it was me, my first concern would be for the shareholders, they are the ones that should be taken care of in the first instant.