Pier Licence Under Review
KENT BARKER
The Entertainment licence for the Hastings Pier is under review following safety concerns raised by the South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SECAmb).
The Trust has submitted evidence to Hastings Borough Council’s Licensing Committee through SAG – the local Safety Advisory Group. A spokesperson for the (SECAmb) said “we have outlined concerns on behalf of the SAG, which include appropriate levels of medical cover for events at the venue and are awaiting the outcome of the formal licensing review by the council’s licensing committee.”
Hastings Borough Council (HBC) has invited submissions from “other relevant authorities and members of the public”. A spokesperson said the consultation allows for people to produce their own representation which could be the same or different to the one already made. However neither the council nor SECAmb were prepared to disclose exactly what the concerns about medical cover were.
The Hastings Safety Advisory group is made up of representatives from emergency services, NHS and health services, Hastings Borough Council and East Sussex County Council services to ensure that risk to public safety is minimised for anyone attending or working at an event.
The current licence holder had been given a copy of the representation, but it is not clear exactly who that is. The management of Hastings Pier is somewhat opaque following the liquidation of pier owner Abid Gulzar’s company Lions Hastings Pier Limited which was put into voluntary liquidation in August 2023 with debts of more than £113,000.
Mr Gulzar did not respond to HIP’s request for further information about the licensing review. There are nine major ticketed events planned on the pier between now and mid-September which could be affected by a decision of HBC’s licensing committee.
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