Kent heritage sites raise concerns over bills

The latest energy quote for Leeds Castle in Kent has soared by nearly £1m

Managers of heritage sites in Kent said they are struggling to balance the books amid surging energy prices.

Many castles and historical houses in the county are managed by charities which rely on admission fees to help pay bills.

However, maintaining a warm and safe environment for visitors in the large, ancient and often draughty buildings has become a challenge, they say.

A boss at Leeds Castle has called for more government support.

Helen Bonser-Wilton, chief executive of the Kent attraction, said the latest energy bill had gone up by nearly £1m.

"In an average year, our energy bill is around £260,000. The quote we've just had in is £1.2m," she said.

"You can just imagine, as an independent charity which has to generate all its money from its activities to look after this wonderful place, that's really quite a challenge.

"I hope the government will give serious consideration to charities like ourselves who simply can't generate the money to survive and manage our heritage assets."

Some of the sites who spoke to the BBC said they have already started to save energy by switching off the lights on battlements and around the attractions.

They said if the government does not provide more assistance, they will call on more of the public to visit the sites to show their support.

Duncan Leslie said Hever Castle uses alternatives to combat high energy bills

Hever Castle near Edenbridge has attempted to address the problem by investing in solar panels and a biomass boiler using local wood.

Without these alternatives, managers would be looking at bills of £500,000 a year.

Chief executive Duncan Leslie said: "Back in 2009 we put in a biomass woodchip boiler. The oil bills here were horrendous. We spent a lot of money on oil.

"Now, it's all locally-sourced woodchip, mostly chestnut coppers from within 30 miles of us, so it supports local hauliers and it's very much coming from the local area."

Deirdre Wells, chief executive of tourism body Visit Kent, said worries were growing as the current round of financial assistance from the government finishes in the spring.

She called for "a long-term solution" which would help businesses which are already hit by the Covid pandemic get through the next year.

Referring to energy bills, she added: "I'm hearing that a number of properties have been trying to renegotiate their contract and are looking at prices quadrupling so it's truly eye-watering for them at the moment."

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