National Trust, which has properties in Birmingham, said it would cut the properties from its books – with most set to go on the rental market later this year.
National Trust set to shut 137 properties across UK in blow to visitors
National Trust is set to shut more than 130 properties across the UK in a blow to holidaymakers. National Trust, which has properties in Birmingham, said it would cut the properties from its books – with most set to go on the rental market later this year.
A total of 137 National Trust properties will be closed as holiday lets, it has been confirmed. It owns more than 500 holiday cottages across the UK – but it is planning on closing down 137.
Most of the cottages will be repurposed as homes and put on the rental market later in the year, according to The Telegraph. A list of locations has not yet been revealed – and nor has an exact timeframe for the closures.
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A National Trust spokesman confirmed 137 of their cottages would be “repurposed”. They told The Telegraph: “We have reviewed our holiday accommodation to ensure all holiday cottages are financially sustainable.
“As a result, 137 holiday cottages will be repurposed, with most becoming long‑term rented homes that support local housing needs.”
The decision was “not easy” but was necessary to ensure the Trust could continue its “mission”, they added.
Cornelia van der Poll, the co-founder of Restore Trust, a forum for concerned members, said visitors had been blindsided by the decision.
“This seems to have come as a complete surprise to long-term visitors, so it is a pity that this hasn’t been communicated well,” she said. “There has been a complete lack of communication.”
The Trust said the impact of climate change was putting its revenue from holiday lets “under pressure” as visitor patterns had become less predictable because of variable weather conditions.
The charity told the Fenland Citizen the “proposed changes are not easy”, adding they were “necessary to help us continue our mission: to care for and champion our shared historic and natural environment, now and long into the future”.
