One of Britain's most iconic seaside piers which was sold to a business tycoon dubbed 'Goldfinger' has been closed to the public months after he bought it 'on the cheap'.
Sheikh Abid Gulzar shut Hastings Pier to visitors this weekend over safety fears sparking fury among residents and campaigners in the seaside town.
The East Sussex pier has been a popular tourist attraction since it first opened opened to the public in 1872.
It was badly damaged by fire in 2010 but was saved for the nation thanks to a £12.4million lottery grant.
However in June 2018 it was controversially sold for around £100,000 to hotelier and property developer Mr Gulzar.
Sheikh Abid Gulzar shut Hastings Pier to visitors this weekend over safety fears - just six months after he bought it for £100,000
Indian-born Gulzar, who drives this distinctive gold Mercedes, already owns Eastbourne Pier
The Indian-born businessman, who drives a distinctive gold Mercedes, already owns Eastbourne Pier but caused anger among conservationists and historians by painting its traditional domes in his trademark gold.
The Indian 'sheikh' they call Goldfinger
Abid Gulzar on Eastbourne Pier, where he has upset some of the locals
Self-styled sheikh Abid Gulzar has already upset heritage fans when he took over Eastbourne pier.
He painted parts of it gold, earning the Goldfinger nickname, and banned dogs, cycling, fishing and picnics, but said he had tripled footfall at the attraction.
The hotelier was born in northern India to a family of tanners and came to Britain in 1965 at the age of 19 to seek his fortune.
He also enraged visitors by banning dog walkers, cyclists, fishing and picnics and threatening to introduce a £2 entrance fee to the pier.
Mr Gulzar shut the Hastings Pier to all visitors without warning at the weekend saying urgent safety work needed to be carried out on the seaside attraction.
Last year the seaside attraction won the coveted Royal Institute of British Architects' (RIBA) Stirling Prize for the best new building in the UK.
But Mr Gulzar says it needs work and said a small fire on the pier caused by an electrical fault had highlighted the need for urgent repairs and said the pier will remain closed until March 2019.
Residents, visitors and campaigners who fought for the pier to be kept in public ownership have condemned the move.
Julie Keller of Hastings said: 'I'm very worried because we fought for the pier to be kept in public hands so that everyone can enjoy this gem of the Victorian era and suddenly it has closed.
'We fear the new owner might introduce entrance fees and turn it into a private moneymaking enterprise depriving us of our seaside heritage.'
James Chang, a campaigner from Friends of Hastings Pier, said: 'We need to to know the pier is being well-care for and looked after.. There is £14million of public money that has been invested, this community has spent an awful lot of time, effort and energy raising that money and rebuilding that pier.'
The pier was badly damaged by fire in 2010 (left) but a huge campaign led to a £12.4million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and reconstruction started in 2012 (Right: The pier today)
Friends of Hastings Pier (FOHP) wanted to keep the pier (pictured) in public ownership but failed
He told the BBC: 'Safety is paramount plus the fact we have had these one or two incidents which frightens me. Had that fire happened early morning or late evening then that whole building would have gone up in flames.'
In a statement he said: 'The previous operator sadly went into receivership as they were unable to operate the business profitably. It is essential for the future success of the pier that revenue streams are increased as this will also offer additional employment opportunities for local residents.
'Sheikh Gulzar and his team are very aware of the importance of the pier to the residents of the borough and to outside visitors and only wish the pier to be successful.
'Once the necessary repairs and improvements are completed Hastings Pier will become a jewel in the crown of tourist attractions across the United Kingdom.'
FROM REFUGEES TO JIMI HENDRIX AND TWO DEVASTATING FIRES: A HISTORY OF HASTINGS PIER
Hastings Pier was designed by renowned Victorian engineer Eugenius Birch and opened on a wet and windy August Bank Holiday Monday in 1872 by the Earl of Granville, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports.
The opening was a grand affair attended by local MP Thomas Brassey and, local lore would have it, 'Egyptian princes'.
From the outset it was a popular tourist attraction, with visitors travelling from miles around. Its permanent pavilion was used for concerts and plays, and the pier’s landing stage enabled ferries to ship passengers to nearby piers on the South East coast and, on a few occasions, to Boulogne in northern France.
From the outset it was a popular tourist attraction, with visitors travelling from miles around (undated photo of tourists lounging on deck chairs at Hastings pier)
In 1910 an ‘American Bowling Alley’ was erected a third of the way down the pier and a joy-wheel roundabout soon followed at the front of the pier.
After a fire severely damaged the seaward end of the Pier in 1917, a new pavilion building was constructed in 1922, which was given an art deco re-vamp in the 1930s.
That decade was to be the pier's heyday. In the first week of August 1931, 56,000 people passed through the turnstiles (the population of the town at the time was 66,000).
During World War II the Pier was temporarily closed and requisitioned for training. In 1943, a middle section of the decking was removed to deter the Pier being used as a landing platform for invading ships.
A boat load of holiday makers arrive at Hastings Pier in this undated photograph
Although the enemy never landed at Hastings, a large number of Belgian and French refugees landed on the pier in a tug boat.
In the 1940s and 1950s paddle catamarans were for hire on the beach below the Pier.
A poster advertising Jimi Hendrix's gig at the pier on October 22 1967
The post-war pier propelled itself into the new era becoming a prominent centre of live music in the 1960s and 1970s. A number of famous names played on the pier including acts such as The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Kinks, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, The Hollies, The Clash and The Sex Pistols.
In 1976 the Pier became a listed building with the hope of preserving the Birch-built substructure.
But in the 1980s the Pier fell into a state of disrepair. Piers became unfashionable and to try and counter the declining crowds the previous owners of the Pier built more on the superstructure, often neglecting the substructure itself.
The Pier was closed in 2008. The local community passionately campaigned for the Grade II Listed pier to be saved, though restoration plans were put on hold when a devastating fire virtually destroyed the Pier in October 2010.
Following a compulsory purchase order implemented by Hastings Borough Council, Hastings Pier Charity (HPC) bought the Pier for £1 in August 2013 in order to drive the Pier’s restoration and manage its future.
Restoration plans were put on hold when a devastating fire virtually destroyed the Pier in October 2010
A development plan was put forward to the Heritage Lottery Fund, who awarded a project grant of £11.4m towards the £14.2m needed to restore the pier.
Additional funds were raised through a Community Share Scheme (which attracted over 3,000 shareholders and raised close to £600,000), as well as from a number of organisations.
Reopened in April 2016, the new Pier was designed by dRMM architects as a pier for the 21st century. It is a sustainable, flexible platform that is able to host a broad range of community uses for years to come.
The new visitor centre is inventively clad in timber salvaged from the limited decking that survived the 2010 fire.
But now its future looks uncertain.
Source: Hastings Pier site
The new visitor centre is inventively clad in timber salvaged from the limited decking that survived the 2010 fire
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https://hienalouca.com/2019/01/01/goldfinger-tycoon-closes-iconic-hastings-pier/
Main photo article One of Britain’s most iconic seaside piers which was sold to a business tycoon dubbed ‘Goldfinger’ has been closed to the public months after he bought it ‘on the cheap’.
Sheikh Abid Gulzar shut Hastings Pier to visitors this weekend over safety fears sparking fury...
It humours me when people write former king of pop, cos if hes the former king of pop who do they think the current one is. Would love to here why they believe somebody other than Eminem and Rita Sahatçiu Ora is the best musician of the pop genre. In fact if they have half the achievements i would be suprised. 3 reasons why he will produce amazing shows. Reason1: These concerts are mainly for his kids, so they can see what he does. 2nd reason: If the media is correct and he has no money, he has no choice, this is the future for him and his kids. 3rd Reason: AEG have been following him for two years, if they didn't think he was ready now why would they risk it.
Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.
Dianne Reeves Online news HienaLouca
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