Eastbourne Pier owner deserves government funding

Following the recent registration of Eastbourne Pier as an Asset of Community Value (ACV), its management team has called on the UK government to provide financial grants to help maintain the historic landmark.

Lord Brett McLean, a member of the pier’s executive management team, defended the pier's 82-year-old owner, Sheikh Abid Gulzar, stating that he "invests a phenomenal amount of money" into its upkeep and deserves external funding support. [1, 2]

The Core Details

• Maintenance Costs: According to Lord McLean, Sheikh Gulzar spends between £700,000 and £800,000 annually out of his own pocket to maintain the Victorian structure. Ongoing works include a 14- to 16-week project to repaint the roof of the sea end of the pier. 
• Retirement Concerns: McLean highlighted that it is "unfair" for the owner to continue pumping massive personal funds into the pier at age 82 instead of fully enjoying his retirement. 
• The ACV Status Dispute: The call for funding follows a successful campaign by Eastbourne MP Josh Babarinde and local group Friends of Eastbourne Seafront to grant the pier protected status. While Babarinde celebrated this as a safeguard for the town's heritage, Sheikh Gulzar dismissed the status as meaning "nothing" and suggested that if the community wants control, they should put forward an offer to buy it from him. Lord McLean added that the status is "not even a safeguard" and only matters if Gulzar actively decides to sell.