National Trust to borrow £100m to improve facilities amid surge in visits

 The National Trust is borrowing £100 million to spend on some of its “inadequate” cafes, car parks, shops and lavatories after a surge in visitor numbers was accompanied by a dive in levels of customer satisfaction.

About £20million will be spent each year over the next five years to expand and upgrade facilities, and tackle a backlog of repairs to farm buildings, homes and holiday cottages.

The Trust said the improvements – funded by an unsecured, low-interest loan – would be made without cutting spending on conservation work or increasing membership fees.

It comes as the Trust announces all-time high numbers of visits to its properties and record membership – but a fall in visitor satisfaction levels.

Visitor numbers have soared from 270,000 in the 1970s to 26.6 million last year, while membership has reached 5.2 million people, a rise of more than a million in just five years.

But the Trust admitted the surge in trips to the places it cares for has seen some smaller cafes, car parks and shops, often built decades ago, struggle with visitor queues and frustration at peak times.

Sharon Pickford, director of member services, said: “We know that the facilities at many of our places have failed to keep pace with this growth and are inadequate or even non-existent.”