Lewes Crown Court has declared Hastings Pier a frozen asset, after owner Abid Gulzar’s company Lions Pier Ltd was officially wound up earlier this month. 

The closure followed a petition by creditors including Eastbourne Council, with the court order now preventing Gulzar from selling or transferring the property pending settlement.

“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,” said Hastings MP Helena Dollimore. “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.” 

Though Gulzar declined to comment on the proceedings when approached by local newspaper the Sussex Express, as did Hastings Borough Council, a spokesperson for the Friends of Hastings Pier said: “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.”