LETTER: Invest in the precious pier

May I thank the Herald for the small article on page 8 last week where I offered my congratulations to Hastings being named Pier of the Year.

I also said that it was not a fair playing field and I would like to expand on that comment if possible.

Hastings Pier has received millions of pounds from the National Lottery. Worthing Pier – which came third nationally – is owned and funded by the borough council.

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Eastbourne Pier is owned privately by me and I always knew that it would be a battle, a battle I love.

But there are two issues which I would like to make the public aware of. First, the Government gave £2 million to the town after the devastating pier fire in 2014.

Because it has become known as the Pier Fund many people assume the money has been invested into the pier. Sadly that is not the case. We have received less than one tenth. That cannot be fair.

A staggering £1.2 million has been set aside for a new restaurant along the seafront. Three years on and we are still waiting. It is a waste of money.

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If you want to generate tourism further then I believe that money should be invested back into the pier. To have not spent more than half of the £2 million over a three-year period I believe is very disappointing.

Questions need to be asked in my opinion.

Second, I do believe that we could get more support from the borough council. I am not being critical but I have not received a massive amount of help from them.

If I had not come along then the pier may well be closed by now – and what an eyesore that would be.

I don’t want people to just say thank you for thanks sake - I want the council to work with me to make the pier even more successful. I do hope that people understand that.

The pier is looking great – summer is just around the corner and we all need to work together.

SHEIKH ABID GULZAR

Grand Parade