Hastings Floods, oh yes, and Hastings Pier.

Well, following our second town centre flood this year (January blog), where water flooded out of this manhole cover (above), where is it?!? It now appears they couldn't/didn't fix a replacement manhole cover, and now it's fully tarmac. I shan't go into the possible resulting complications...😲

Of course, the drain opposite the Carlisle pub had been fixed, hadn't it? I'm shaking my head as this has been going on for ages (eg blog), and the drain that replaced the raised drain into the sea is often now below seawater, NB High Tides, and seawater just pushes back up the drain. Priory Meadow and much of the town centre used to be Hastings harbour, eg in 1066, thus much of it below seawater... I'm shaking my head now, Southern Water still don't seem to have figured all this out!

Oh yes, and Hastings Pier, the company that was running it, Lions Hastings Pier Ltd, ie the company owned by the owner of the Pier, went into administration earlier this year (blog). However, Gulzar, the owner, said that no way would the Pier close, only "over my dead body" he asserted (Sussex World), indeed, he has "£100 million in reserve to keep it open." Why hasn't he spent any money on the Pier for its upkeep then? Or for improvements? Or a new pavilion on it like the Friends of Hastings Pier (blog) planned for in their bid; just what was in that brown envelope?!?

And La Belle Vue, in the central pavilion, had to close down for now, sadly, although I believe they have plans to reopen in the future. It all looked so positive when I visited and had a few beers back in May (blog). I shan't go into the problems there, but no doubt having the excellent view obscured by stages, boxes and speakers didn't help for a restaurant called La Belle Vue. 

But La Belle Vue has merged with Casa de Pier (blog) in the remaining pavilion, and this is still open, pretty much all that was open on the Pier at the weekend...

Good luck to both businesses! 👍

Lions Hastings Pier Limited in Adminstration!

Has the man no shame?!? It has been reported that Lions Hastings Pier Limited has gone into administration, a legal way of rich shareholders shirking responsibility... Although the Pier should continue to run as it is at the moment, ownership remains with Gulzar. A meeting of creditors, including Gulzar as a creditor, has been called for Thursday the 3rd of August (Hastings Online Times).

A fair assessment of circumstances is given by Hastings Online Times.

I nearly swore when I found out! 😖

Hastings Pier: An Architect's Evaluation

Yesterday I spotted an article written by a senior architect, Hayley Chivers, in the Architects' Journal (website) with a pun for a title, Pier Review, which does what it says on the label. I apologise for my late sharing (this was published just before Christmas), but not being an architect, 'tis not my usual reading matter. However, it says pretty much what many of us know even though we're not architects, so I'm sharing a couple of direct quotes below, and you can go to the article for the full review, which is well worth the read and is very pertinent indeed, good review Hayley, many thanks! 👍

"Yet almost as soon as the Stirling jury had, perhaps unwisely, declared it a ‘masterpiece of regeneration’, the charity that ran the structure went into administration and the People’s Pier was put up for sale. Rejecting a £477,000 crowdfunded bid* with accompanying five-year business plan, the administrators sold off the lottery-funded asset to Eastbourne hotelier Abid Gulzar, owner of the recently burnt-out Eastbourne Pier, for the princely sum of £60,000... 

...the pier requires £70,000 every year to sustain the structural repairs alone. The current owner has reportedly spent only a fraction of that since taking it over..." 

*Friends of Hastings Pier, although there was more finance available than just the crowdfunded money (blog).

Hastings Pier Closed Again...

Yes, Hastings Pier has closed its gates again for this year and for the winter presumably, I can't imagine the owner organising anything else, and after another great summer of entertainment provided by the team at Hastings Pier Entertainments, their contract is ending and they hand the keys back on Saturday. They have sent an email to me and said the situation is uncertain, but they have submitted another proposal to the owner and hope to reopen in the Spring, good luck and fingers crossed! 👍

Could be worth keeping an eye on their page on facebook over the coming months. 

Such a shame that the alternative ownership hadn't succeeded taking over the Pier 4 years ago (blog), we'd have had a new pavilion and an extension of the central Deck building allowing for all weather events, oh well, brown envelopes and all that. 😞

Pier Owner Fined Regarding HMRC Dispute

The owner of Hastings Pier (still closed!), (not a real Sheikh) Abid Gulzar, was fined in Hastings Magistrates Court yesterday for failing to comply with HMRC tax regulations regarding staff PAYE at his Eastbourne hotels (Eastbourne Herald); not the first time he has had a brush with HMRC and the Law (eg Eastbourne Herald). This, following his ally, (not a real Lord) Brett McLean intimating that he had been let off because HMRC had made a mistake...

Since originally writing this I have found out more about the sums involved (BBC). Gulzar was fined £8,000 for failing to pay HMRC "almost £62,000" and, in addition, his two companies, Mansion Lions Hotel Ltd and Albany Lions Hotel Ltd, "were fined £4,000 each for failing to pay £40,000 and £22,000 respectively for Pay As You Earn (PAYE) and National Insurance contributions."

"Speaking after the case, Richard Wilkinson, assistant director of HMRC's fraud investigation service, said: 'HMRC made numerous attempts to engage with Gulzar, who was trading illegally as he failed to pay the security bonds and then tried to thwart the prosecution.' "

Worrying times for anyone applying for jobs, whenever the Pier reopens!

What a Waste!

Another gorgeous day, Hastings old town and centre heaving, and Hastings Pier remains closed (allegedly to reopen in March, already missed the earlier stated 'it'll be open for St Valentine's Day' - obviously not!). What a waste, "businessman," what business? You're having a laugh Gulzar, HLF and administrators!

Hastings Pier Video

Here is a link to a film on YouTube showing how sad an empty Pier looks, indeed, the new owner still hasn't done anything with it except add a few plastic 'statues' and close it down because he can't afford to pay staff wages. Even those who moaned about the Charity have to see that this charlatan is much worse, there is NO-ONE on Hastings Pier, people cannot even promenade on the Pier! Indeed, the Friends of Hastings Pier had a serious plan to improve facilities on the Pier (one of previous blogs, for example) and a new pavilion designed by the architects who built the Eden Project in Cornwall (drMM Architects) would have already been under construction by now, sad days...

You still can have a say on Gulzar's application to get planning permission to have a further 4 sheds on Hastings Pier for 5 years, plus permission for a shed already there without planning permission/approval; go to the Hastings Borough Council website.

Hastings Pier Demonstration & Did You Miss Me?

I'm guessing you didn't miss me, but I did miss the supportive demonstration of Hastings Pier on Saturday, I realise it's too late now, but below is the programme for the event. It seems that about 250 supporters turned up, and our MP, Amber Rudd, and the Leader of the Council, Peter Chowney, were there too, apparently Ms Rudd was there to translate for the owner, Mr  Gulzar: see film on youtube.

There are other photographs of the event on the Where do we go from pier? facebook group, and more film and excellent analysis at the Hastings Independent Press facebook page, I'd also suggest you watch out for the Hastings Independent 2-weekly newspaper which has been exploring the whole saga with some very astute journalism... I shall be writing more once I get sorted out again now I'm back, please look forward to it, many thanks!

Hastings Pier Yet Again!

It's still closed, there's a surprise, not, but Gulzar's fake Lord buddy, who appears to be his PR guru, has stated on twitter that Hastings Pier is closed because some staff had resigned (elsewhere says they all walked out because they hadn't been paid their wages! Though they appear to have been paid it after the due date, as I've said before). More importantly, because of "necessary repair work" (and we all know how any repair work missed has arisen, if this is true, don't we?!? Because the 2 person maintenance team came into conflict with Gulzar/his company and were given the boot/suffered from constructive dismissal/whatever, they don't work there anymore! 

The bottom line? Hastings Pier is so obviously being mismanaged, and the Christmas Opening Times we were waiting for? A figment... Don't expect the Pier to reopen anytime soon, the owners have no concrete plan for its future, and likely have no money to actually improve the Pier, consequently, very happy to not have to pay wages to staff. Maybe there should be a sweepstake on when it will be put up for sale, just suggesting... What a sad mess for this wonderful award-winning structure!

So, who did benefit from a stuffed brown envelope? 😯

And the weather is now perfect to promenade along the Pier!

Hastings Pier Falling Apart?

Following Gulzar's recently laying off Hastings Pier's 2-person maintenance team, and his lack of insurance for the structure of the Pier (he refuses to provide evidence of insurance, even to his friends at Hastings Observer and to the Hastings MP, let alone to concerned locals!), here is evidence that he is an absolute failure when it comes to maintaining the Pier, sadly.

Hastings Borough Council are aware, let's see what happens...

This photograph is thanks to it being shared on a Pier-friendly facebook page by Martin Richter, many thanks Martin! 

A visit to Hastings Pier yesterday...

OK, not the most picturesque photograph (better below), but important as these are the 2 certificates that show there is an 'alcohol licence' for Hastings Pier now; something I'm not surprised about as it is pretty much a necessity if they want to make any money! But, to the right is the copy of the Certificate of Employer's Liability Insurance for the HASTINGS PIER CHARITY, not for Lions Hastings Pier Ltd, the new owner...

Now, as many of you will know, a valid Certificate of Employer's Liability Insurance has to be on display for staff to see by law, though not necessarily in view of the public like the Charity posted whilst they managed the Pier. So I ended up talking to a man who said he is the 'manager' and suggested he'd better check if they have this insurance, and that a copy of the certificate is on display for staff to see, otherwise they're breaking the law. He said they must have a copy somewhere, and he'd better take down the invalid Charity certificate, which he did. I wished him good luck!

If you didn't visit St Leonards Festival yesterday you will have missed the Friends of Hastings Pier stall in Warrior Square Gardens, and a chance to speak with people who really care about what should be a community-owned asset, and whose excellent plan for the future of the Pier had been spurned by the administrators in favour of Mr Gulzar and Lions Hastings Pier Ltd.

The principles of Friends of Hastings Pier can be read at their new Crowdfunder page, where you may also contribute to their campaign, but essentially it is about the people in a community having a say in what happens to community assets and that they should stay in community ownership. My best wishes to Friends of Hastings Pier and their campaign, which I do and will continue to support.

Hastings Pier Still Closed Worry...

Sorry to be going on about the Pier, but even more concerns... 

Hastings Pier today CLOSED, 19-06-18

Well, I just got back from Hastings Pier, hoping to see the reopening ceremony, or at least the reopening, and guess what? Indeed, it isn't open, though it may be reopening on Friday morning I was told (though I wasn't told which year!). And who told me? Well, someone from the Hastings Observer who was due to interview Mr Gulzar this morning told me, and he was there with a film camera person (I didn't wait, mainly because I wanted to let people know it's still closed and...). Anyway, the Observer hack told me he was a friend of Mr Gulzar, so don't expect too searching an interview!

Why is it closed still? Here's another worrying factor, Mr Gulzar didn't know he had to have 3rd Party Liability Insurance, which is a legal requirement in case a visitor to the Pier, or worker, is injured or dies whilst on the Pier. There's a relief! Even if the Administrators didn't tell him (an excuse I believe we are about to be given!), he would have to know about 3rd Party Liability Insurance as he already owns Eastbourne Pier and a hotel and presumably was thought to be a successful and competent entrepreneur by the Heritage Lottery Fund. Oh dear, please remind me never to visit Eastbourne Pier, in case they lack the required insurance. 

What have the people of Hastings done to deserve this incompetent businessman?!?

Hastings Pier Sold & Closed!?! And Online Petition...

Hastings Pier this Lunchtime, CLOSED!

I've been away over the weekend, and guess what happened, indeed, Hastings Pier was sold to the owner of Eastbourne Pier, Mr Gulzar, a businessman who doesn't appear to be too successful when taking note of comments about the other Pier miles over from our west side! Even more worrying is that he doesn't appear to have any plans about what to do with it, he got it for less money than Friends of Hastings Pier were prepared to pay, reported to be a mere £50,000, for a pier that has had £14 million or so from the Heritage Lottery Fund, and, again it is reported, that he can sell it after 2 years... it doesn't look too promising does it, but it does look suspicious!?!

I've regularly reported about Friends of Hastings Pier, who actually do have a plan, and today I read Jess Steele's excellent explanation of funding 'How the Money Works' (link), which is well worth the read, please don't have an opinion until you do read it, else you'll not really have an informed opinion! I'm guessing there will be some sort of demonstration tomorrow, because the Pier is reported to be reopening tomorrow (Tuesday 19th June), presumably with labour coming in from Eastbourne? 

In the meantime, there is an online petition 'Why have the Heritage Lottery Fund sold Hastings Pier?' (link) to sign, if you, like me, believe what has happened to be very suspicious, consequently it really does need to be investigated by someone in authority, surely?!? Whatever, watch this space, there's something fishy going on...

And I've not even mentioned shareholders being ignored and getting no recompense, supporters buying planks and making donations, etc etc...

Here is the Heritage Lottery Fund Statement.