Future of Hastings Pier is in the balance as it becomes a frozen asset

Lewes Crown Court has made an order preventing owner Abid Gulzar from selling or disposing of it.

When an asset is frozen it means that while a person still technically owns it, they are legally prevented from selling or transferring it. Assets can be frozen by courts, pending financial disputes or settlements.

The pier is registered with Hastings Borough Council as an asset of community value.

The pier was bought from the administrators of the Hastings Pier Charity, which went into liquidation in 2018, for £60,000. It is now for sale for £4 million.

Hastings MP Helena Dollimore said: "People in Hastings are rightly concerned about the state of our pier, which should be the jewel in the crown of our town’s iconic seafront but has been neglected.

"This latest news that the pier has now become a frozen asset is the latest in a long list of sagas during Mr Gulzar’s ownership. I have long called on Mr Gulzar to publish an independent structural survey about the condition of the pier and I’m still waiting.

"Ultimately, we need to see the pier open and thriving, and I will continue to hold whoever owns the pier to account on behalf of our town. I continue to work closely with the Friends of Hastings Pier, local councillors, local small businesses and others who want to see it restored to its former glory."

She has also called for Mr Gulzar to commission an independent survey detailing its current condition.

A spokesperson for the Friends of Hastings Pier Group said: “Over the last six months we have collaborated with many stakeholders as part of a working group that was set up by Helena Dollimore MP to try to secure the pier for the community. “Mr Gulzar has stated that he wants £4 million which is many multiple times the valuation figure we have received from a real estate company that specialises in selling retail and leisure properties globally.

“As such we have not progressed any further but the pier will still remain registered as an Asset of Community Value until November 6 2028 and we would like to keep an open channel with the current owner should things change. “We will continue to lobby to ensure the pier becomes the beacon of regeneration that it was intended to be, and brings jobs and tourists to our town. Hastings Pier is a wonderful space that we will work to preserve for future generations.”

When the Observer spoke to Mr Gulzar, he declined to comment.

A spokesperson for Hastings Borough Council said: “The pier isn’t our asset so we don’t think this is appropriate for us to comment on.”