Pier Events Prompt Council ‘Investigation’
Newcomers to Hastings Pier, Rum Shed, have been advertising a programme of electronic music to be staged this autumn and winter in the three-room, two-storey wooden reception building in the centre of the structure. The Rum Shed building will next Saturday (19 October) host a Spring Tides Family Rave between 2pm and 4.30pm compered by DJ Soulprovyder. It is to be followed by a High Tides “deep dirty electronic music” event on the same evening, featuring a number of nationally or locally known DJs strutting their stuff between 5pm and midnight.
A promotional video posted on the High Tides facebook page features nostalgic references by a 90s DJ, Sequenci, to Ecstasy drug-taking and manufacturing.
Further similar techno/house gigs are promised for future weekends.
There is no apparent planning approval for these events, nor was there for the series of outdoor electronic dance music events promoted by Piertown, the trading name of companies Hastings Pier Limited and/or Slap That Sound Limited, over the past two summers.
Freehold owner Sheikh Abid Gulzar last month lodged a planning application with Hastings Borough Council to erect a new gold-domed pavilion building opposite the existing restaurant premises at the entrance to the pier (see page 3). However, the authorised use for the central reception building, granted by Hastings Borough Council (HBC) planning committee after a contested hearing in May 2019, remains as a ‘family amusement arcade’, limited to opening between the hours of 9am and 9pm. This time limitation was imposed by the council so as “to safeguard the amenity of adjoining and future residents”.
When the award-winning structure was bought in 2018 by Sheikh Abid Gulzar, he confirmed that access would remain open and free to all on a daily basis. It was noted by the council’s planning officer at the 2019 hearing as a point in favour of the applicants (Mr Gulzar himself through his agent Lord Brett Maclean) that the “ability to walk around the Pier will not be affected by this scheme”.
However, not only has the whole of the pier been subsequently closed for winter months; visitors have found unsightly fencing barring them from proceeding past the reception building for much of this summer. The fencing has not only cordoned off one third of the pier’s length so as to render it out of bounds during active events. It has been kept there in between events to protect Piertown’s ancillary equipment. That was still the case as this report was written, even though no more outdoor events are apparently planned in this area for the rest of the year.
An HBC spokesperson, asked last week whether the council has any concerns about the pier being used regularly for activities which appear to be in contravention of authorised planning use, responded: “Hastings Borough Council’s Planning Enforcement team are currently following their processes and are investigating the issues raised, we are therefore unable to provide further details at this time.”
RUM SHED PROGRAMME
Teri Rollo, sole director of Rum Shed, has declined to comment on planning issues. She has, however, put forward a vigorous defence of her company’s programme. She aims to provide “a beautifully decorated inside and outdoor space”, including murals painted by local artists. “All décor has been designed to reflect Hastings history,” she says, “but modernised to be adaptable to cater for many different events”.
As regards music events, she points to the pier’s historical heritage, having showcased acts such as the Rolling Stones, The Who, The Clash, etc. through the 1960s and 1970s. Piertown “have tried tirelessly to stage and re-establish the pier’s relationship with live music,” Ms Rollo says, while Rum Shed “are now able to reach out a bit more and offer our own services on a more localised level”. She refers to “fabulous local bands like Los Twangueros” and “very well-known classy DJs like DJ Soulprovyder and Sarah France”.
On the other hand, she will also be offering a “well-stocked bar” that’s “dog-friendly”, and a wide range of community activities. She says that wedding and birthday parties were catered for over the summer, and that there’s an evening of ‘mediumship’ on Thursday next week (17 October) appealing to “spiritual enthusiasts”. She looks forward to offering alternative/wellbeing events (collaborating with Samphire Sauna), meetings of a local sea-swimming club, yoga and sound baths.
Slot machines, ‘teddy grabbers’ and other family arcade games will be retained and added to. She will be getting a pool table “and look to building a pool team that we want to be able to compete locally,” also a couple of darts boards. A “food element” will be provided by next year.
Will HBC seek to control any of these plans by enforcement action? We’ll have to wait and see.
LICENSING
On 2 September its licensing sub- committee chaired by Cllr Andy Batsford reviewed a range of breaches of licence conditions regarding the safety of the music events managed by Piertown where more than 1,000 people attended. The committee stripped leaseholder Max Wolf from his role as designated premises supervisor and imposed new safety stipulations. What they didn’t do is to consider whether these music events have any authorisation under planning law, or even whether the hours of trading allowed by the licence – between 10 am and midnight – were compatible with those restricted under the 2019 permission.
The sub-committee minutes noted expressly that “Planning Permission representations were irrelevant to these proceedings and not taken into consideration when making our decision.” Cllr Batsford has admitted subsequently that, from a local resident’s perspective, a planning permission “shouldn’t be inconsistent with a licensing one (and vice versa),” but he commented that “the functions are different”.
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Horrible piece of ‘journalism’
You’ve conlfated two separate event organisers and tarred them with the Gulzar brush. Citing drug use and manufacturer? Well done, the events have now been cancelled due to your ‘story’. Shoddy support for the town. The fact you have a listing’s page, yet seem determined to scupper any events on the pier, is laughable. So congratulations on putting local jobs on the line and for trying to squash an organic and totally law abiding event. Independent? Don’t make me laugh.