Pier lamps throw no light on finances

In the tale of Aladdin, the offer of new lamps is a cunning trick by an unscrupulous sorcerer. But what does it mean for Hastings Pier? Bernard McGinley reports and took the photos.

In July, Pier owner Sheikh Abid Gulzar put his Lions Hastings Pier Limited into ‘creditors voluntary liquidation’. Even without Lions Hastings Pier Limited, he still owns the Pier.

The company has debts of £313,000, as documented in the statement of affairs filed as part of the liquidation process, so why is he now putting in lamps? He owes Hastings Borough Council over £31,000 so why not pay them, instead of having his Eastbourne electricians run cables around for a couple of weeks? Dann Electrical Services have reported on Facebook that they’ve installed 34 LED lampposts, for extra lighting. Despite the stated debts of £313,000 (of which £100,000 is owed to Mr Gulzar and a further £18,000 to two of his companies), Mr Gulzar has also stated that he has assets of £100m — in which case, why doesn’t he pay his debts?

At least two new types of lamppost have gone up on the Pier, mutually jarring in style, and of differing heights. Why? Could it be to save money? Additionally there is no planning application, so the lamps lack planning permission, and also listed building consent. HBC Enforcement has finally decided to have an Enforcement enquiry, but its outcome could take a long time.

Media coverage

Sources differ on whether closure of the Pier is a possibility or not. The owner says not. After a Daily Mail report of 9 October, ITV Meridian News turned up to do an interview with James Chang of the Friends of Hastings Pier, a report that went out on 12 October. The Times did two stories, the second on 13 October. Among other things it quoted Sally-Ann Hart MP, who wrote to the owner months ago about legally-obliged repairs to a listed building, and never had a response.

The Sunday Times of 15 October also did a report on the Pier. The BBC persistently misreported the name of the relevant company, but on 19 October BBC SE tv news on 19 October [at about 14:40], with comments from Mr Gulzar and Mr Chang, and Cllr Andy Batsford of HBC. BBC Radio Sussex next morning also had interviews and reports about Hastings Pier. 

Credibility and consistency

Possibly Mr Gulzar is keen to reorder his accounts as the liquidation process proceeds. Or perhaps he wants to have some achievements to point to (without planning permission or listed building consent). He was invited by HOT to comment but – as with the MP – did not reply. His media comments after a long silence suggest an awareness of some pressure however.

Putting these ugly and inconsistent lamps on a listed building is part of a longer history of abuse. Perhaps Mr Gulzar was being badly advised, though he could have recalled from his regulatory misadventures (such as his Eastbourne Pier breaches) that this is not allowed. Even on Hastings Pier, the barbed wire that was reported in 2019 is still there, unresolved.

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