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PERMISSION
IS GRANTED
GOLDEN
NUGGET - Click
on the picture above to see the objections and media coverage
relating to the retrospective planning application that
finally settled whether of not this dome could remain gold. Copyright
photograph © Cleaner Ocean Club Ltd August 2016. Please ask
for permission before reproducing this photograph.
STRIKING
GOLD - The owner of Eastbourne Pier may have struck gold
in September 2016 by being allowed to keep his dome, but the
oceans that lap the shores of Eastbourne, Brighton and
Hastings piers are still littered with plastic waste. The BMW
i3 seen above is used in connection with the SeaVax ocean
cleaning project. If we all drove clean electric cars like
this and used renewable energy for our homes and factories,
climate change could be a thing of the past. Congratulations
to Sheikh Abid Gulzar on this latest victory and all the best
for his future plans to regenerate this iconic structure.
Copyright © photograph 1 November 2016. You will need the
permission of Bluebird
Marine Systems to reproduce this picture.
FORMAL
OBJECTION TO PROPOSAL - APPLICATION REFERENCE 160872
The
Cleaner Oceans Club Ltd objected to the above application as
it stood, but are pleased that a compromise has been reached
that will allow Mr Gulzar and his team to continue to invest
their time and money into a pier that still needs a lot of
work if it is to be taken off the Monument At Risk Register.
MEDIA: Wednesday 14 September 2016
Town planners have made an initial decision over the gold coloured paint domes on Eastbourne Pier.
It looks like the council will be giving pier owner Sheikh Abid Gulzar retrospective planning permission to keep parts of the iconic site gold.
Mr Gulzar has painted lions on 49 lampposts on the pier gold coloured plus 13 domes and pinnacles without planning permission.
The planning committee will meet on Tuesday evening, and officers are recommending that approval be granted - but with conditions.
The report says Mr Gulzar met with officials from the council and Historic England to discuss the application.
He committed at that meeting not to paint any more parts of the pier gold without first seeking consent.
He has also agreed the roof of the Waterfront bar will be repainted a neutral colour.
Historic England has said it will not object providing Mr Gulzar does not undertake any more gold painting.
It acknowledges Mr Gulzar stepped in to buy the pier when it was facing an uncertain future and he has invested in the site.
But it said such painting does cause some harm to the pier’s character and appearance.
Eastbourne Chamber of Commerce has raised concerns and says the paintwork looks ‘amateurish.’
There were 65 comments received from members of the public, with 27 objecting. There were 38 letters of support.
The council report says the public interest of the viability of the pier outweighs any harm to the site.
Mr Gulzar said, “I am working closely with Eastbourne Borough Council. Leader David Tutt and the officers have been very supportive.
“I thank them for this report, I note all the various comments, and I look forward to seeing how the planning committee votes on Tuesday.
“I have always said from day one that I want to work with Eastbourne Borough Council - for the good of the pier and the good of the town.”
Wednesday 21 September 2016
The controversial gold coloured domes on Eastbourne Pier are allowed to stay.
The decision was made at a meeting of Eastbourne council’s planning committee last night (Tuesday) amid a heated debate.
Pier owner Abid Gulzar was also given a stern warning not to carry out any more painting on the listed seafront structure without the permission of Historic England or Eastbourne Borough Council.
Mr Gulzar’s contractors painted domes, pinnacles and lions on lampposts on the pier without asking for planning permission.
When complaints were made, he was ordered to stop the painting and apply for retrospective permission .
At last night’s meeting Rebecca Madell, a former councillor, the council’s heritage champion and representing the Meads Community Association, accused Mr Gulzar of having absolutely no regard for planning policy.
“Mr Gulzar constantly practices the give an inch and take a mile philosophy,” said Mrs Madell.
“He has a long history of defacing our buildings and then, only when forced to, does he seek retrospective permission – be it ripping out irreplaceable Victorian features, installing plastic windows and the inappropriate use of gold.”
Mrs Madell called on the council to tell Mr Gulzar to remove the gold paint and reinstate a zinc roof.
But after a heated and tense debate councillors agreed to let the gold coloured paint remain.
Among those voting in favour of giving retrospective permission was Eastbourne mayor Pat Hearn, councillors Miah, Ballard and committee chairman Jim Murray.
Those against included councillors Robinson, Murdoch and Taylor.
After the meeting, Mr Gulzar said, “I am very pleased councillors have agreed to give me permission for the gold to stay on the pier.
“What is wrong with a bit of colour on the pier? People think I am flashy because I drive a gold car and I have gold rings on my fingers.
“The truth is that I am a very hard-working individual who works seven days a week to make the pier – and other parts of my business – a success.
“People love the pier now. I have invested hundreds of thousands of pounds into it. Who else was prepared to do that? Absolutely nobody.
“It has become the talk of the town, and we have been receiving regional and national publicity. I loved being on The Jeremy Vine Show on Radio 2.
“I had letters of support from people all over the country after that. A bit of colour is good – and Eastbourne Pier is becoming great. And there’s more to come, make no mistake about that. It is going to be the best pier in the country.”
EASTBOURNE
PIER FIRE 1970 - With a track record of fires and
suspicious circumstances, any more fires on this structure are
bound to be treated as suspicious. It took 80 fire fighters to bring the blaze
under control. Not though in time to save the music pavilion.
Indeed, one could argue that with all the combustible
materials consumed, the fire was simply prevented from
spreading to other substantial buildings. What then was the
pier constructed of to make it burn so fiercely?
THE ARGUS 21 SEPT 2016
Sheikh releases lion's roar over planners’ decision on Pier gold paint
1 day ago / Peter Lindsey
6 comments
THE CONTROVERSIAL owner of Eastbourne Pier has won his battle to keep parts of it painted gold.
Sheikh Abid Gulzar who owns three hotels and a children’s nursery – added the pier to his portfolio last October in a move that shocked the tranquil seaside resort.
He then painted 49 lions and 13 domes on the Grade II* pier gold without planning permission.
Eastbourne Borough Council's planning committee met tonight to discuss his retrospective planning application, and approval was granted - but with conditions.
He was told to remove gold from the dome above The Waterfront pub – which has already been done.
He was also told he would not be allowed to put any more gold paint on the pier without getting planning permission first in future.
After the meeting, Mr Gulzar said: “I am very pleased that councillors have agreed to give me permission for the gold to stay on the pier.
“What is wrong with a bit of colour on the pier? People think that I am flashy because I drive a gold car and I have gold rings on my fingers.
“The truth is that I am a very hard-working individual who works seven days a week to make the pier – and other parts of my business – a success.
“People love the pier now. I have invested hundreds of thousands of pounds into it. Who else was prepared to do that? Absolutely nobody.
“It has become the talk of the town.
“I had letters of support from people all over the country after that. A bit of colour is good – and Eastbourne Pier is becoming great. And there’s more to come, make no mistake about that. It is going to be the best pier in the country."
Heritage champion Rebecca Madell addressed the committee saying what Mr Gulzar had done amounted to criminal damage.
She claimed he has a long history of defacing buildings and had no regard for the planning process.
Mr Gulzar had already fought a long battle with Natural England over damaging land he had bought on Pevensey Levels.
He was fined £45,000 and ordered to pay costs of £90,000 in 2013 after being found guilty of damaging a protected conservation site.
LION
LAMP POST - Copyright
photograph © Cleaner Ocean Club Ltd August 2016. Please ask
for permission before reproducing this photograph.
HISTORIC
ENGLAND LISTING NOTES:
National Grid Reference: TV6185098847
List entry Number: 1353116
THE
RETROSPECTIVE APPLICATION
Application Reference 160872
Historic Application Reference
Application Description Listed Building consent for: Painting of 2no. Domes (primer
undercoat layer and gold metallic outer layer). Retrospective Listed Building Consent also required for: Repair and Painting of roof to ‘Waterfront’ bar/restaurant (primer undercoat layer and gold metallic outer layer); Painting Lion detailing on 49no. lamp posts (primer undercoat layer and gold metallic outer layer); Painting 13 Domes
and Pinnacles (primer undercoat layer and gold metallic outer layer).
Received Date 27/07/2016
Valid Date 28/07/2016
Officer Neil Holdsworth
CONTACTS
Project
address:
Eastbourne
Pier
Grand Parade
EASTBOURNE
East Sussex
BN21 3EL
Local
authority address:
Eastbourne
Borough Council
1
Grove Rd
Eastbourne
East
Sussex
BN21
4TW
Tel:
+44 (0) 1323 831727
Email:
conservation@miss-ocean.com
GOOGLE
MAPS - The above is a satellite view from one of the most
famous search engine companies. The snapshot was taken in
September 2015, but still shows the Blue Room intact.
LINKS
Heritage
Lottery Fund
Historic
England
Eastbourne
Borough Council
Travel
AOL UK 2016/08/02
Eastbourne-pier-owner-blasted-for-painting-parts-of-it-gold
Asian-Voice.com
News UK Eastbourne-Pier-owner-in-trouble-over-gold-touches
Eastbourne
Herald Brewers sponsorship boost for charity barbecue event
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/peter-hawley-81a47223
The
Daily Express
UK news pier owner who is going for gold angers locals
The
Times pier facelift too flashy for Eastbourne
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/31/sheikh-of-eastbournes-historic-pier-bans-picnics-and-dog-walkers/
http://travel.aol.co.uk/2016/08/02/eastbourne-pier-owner-blasted-for-painting-parts-of-it-gold/
http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/695656/Pier-owner-who-is-going-for-gold-angers-locals
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/pier-facelift-too-flashy-for-eastbourne-f6775xhnk
https://www.asian-voice.com/News/UK/Eastbourne-Pier-owner-in-trouble-over-gold-touches
http://www.eastbourneherald.co.uk/news/brewers-sponsorship-boost-for-charity-barbecue-event-1-4260038
http://www.historicengland.org.uk/
https://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/ccf
http://www.eastbourne.gov.uk/
http://www.hlf.org.uk/
http://www.historicengland.org.uk/
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