Friends of Hastings Pier respond to ‘incredibly confusing week of notices’

The Friends of Hastings Pier said this week’s communications regarding the reopening of the pier had been ‘incredibly confusing’. Hastings Pier owner Sheikh Abid Gulzar closed the pier in December 2018 for three months to allow time for essential repairs to be carried out. Last week, pier spokesman Brett McLean said the reopening would be delayed by a few weeks after storm damage – with Hastings Borough Council and Amber Rudd MP saying the pier would not reopen before Easter. However, yesterday, a post on the Hastings Pier Facebook page said it would be open before Easter. In a statement on Saturday (March 23), Friends of Hastings Pier said: “Like everyone else, we have been very disappointed that the pier closed down without notice before Christmas and has remained closed. “However, movement is afoot! After an incredibly confusing week of notices about when the pier will open again, we now are told on the Hastings Pier Facebook page that it will open before Easter. “No firm date has been announced yet, but we sincerely hope that it will open in the next few weeks.” The Friends said they appreciated Hastings and Rye MP Amber Rudd saying the pier ‘belongs to our town’ when she wrote to constituents this week. The group added: “Plus we appreciate her saying that ‘there must also be much improved communication with the Hastings community from the owner’. This is one of FOHP’s aims and we are in regular communication with pier spokespeople. We would encourage the owner to be more transparent. “We look forward to seeing the pier open and preserved for future generations.” See more: Pier to close until March for essential repairs Hastings Pier closure ‘could have been handled better’ says council leader Community group calls for answers over Hastings Pier closure More than 1,000 sign petition to reopen Hastings Pier Amber Rudd calls for ‘urgency’ in reopening Hastings Pier