More of Canterbury's disintegrating heritage sites could soon become enclosed in scaffolding as millions of pounds is poured into repair work.

Disappointed tourists are already met with ugly framework encasing the Cathedral and The Beaney museum, but the city council warns the number of historical sites undergoing maintenance work will be rising.

The Castle, Tower House and the former Heritage Museum - which already has some scaffolding - could soon be following suit.

Authority bosses have decided that now is the time to take action and have started looking into what needs to be done at each site.

Council building surveyor Nathan Foley says as much as £2 million could be spent on repairs to the old Stour Street museum alone, which is now The Marlowe Kit.

He has also given a stark warning on what the future holds elsewhere.

He said: "We have discovered defects with the Beaney which is now clad in scaffolding and will require significant investment to remedy. We already have problems with Tower House, which will need re-roofing work. We also have Canterbury Castle to decide on.

"We have lots of significant properties which need major investment.

"We are facing having visitors to the historic centre of Canterbury seeing scaffold everywhere."

However, authority spokesman Rob Davies predicts tourist numbers won't differ and maintenance is a big positive.

"Scaffolding means money is being put in," he said.

"If it needs to be put up then we'll act as quickly as possible to get it down.

"It shouldn't be looked at as an unsightly negative - instead, scaffolding shows investment and proves we are taking action."

The Beaney reopened five years ago after a £14 million refurbishment but is now engulfed in scaffolding, which could remain in place for a year.

The front façade of the venue - which experienced a large dip in visitor numbers last year - is failing and some debris has fallen. Mosaics have also come loose and moisture has found its way into timber - sparking the need for a full renovation.

Work on Tower House in Westgate Gardens is being considered for the 2019/20 financial year. Purchased by the authority in the 1920s and now used for weddings, the building's roof needs renewing due to leaks, and external stonework is in need of repair.

Canterbury Society chairman Jan Pahl says the work shows a desire to improve the heritage sites.

"They inevitably need repairs and I wouldn't grumble about it," she said.

"When I go to a place and see scaffolding, I think 'here's a place which cares how it looks'. It's very good that heritage is being looked at. It's one of those necessary evils."

Aside from council-owned buildings, Greyfriars Monastery is at “serious risk” of being lost and is on a national high priority list to be saved. No solution has yet been agreed on how to safeguard it.

Meanwhile, Canterbury Cathedral is in the midst of a £24.7 million redevelopment and much of the building is covered in scaffolding.

St Peter's Methodist Church in the city centre, which dates back to 1811, is also clad in substantial scaffolding.

Council chief executive Colin Carmichael said: "With our buildings we can take advantage of the works we do and turn the sites into something which will be of better use. They can then be used actively by the public.

"The amount of heritage in Canterbury can be taken for granted but, it is packed solid with history. It constantly needs maintaining - it can be expensive, but if you don't do the work then it gets worse."

Canterbury Castle, which has been shut for more than a year due to falling masonry, is planned to eventually reopen to the public.

Temporary fencing surrounds the flint and sandstone ruins of the Norman keep, and the gates are padlocked off to tourists hoping to explore the castle.

But the council hopes already-conducted stone-by-stone surveys will allow for some much-needed renovations in the long-term.

The repair cost, expected to be paid for by the Heritage Lottery Fund, would be substantial. However, no date has yet been set and the funding has not been finalised.

While the castle itself looks to remain shut for the near future, the council chiefs say the grounds will soon be unlocked once again.

At times forgotten due to its neglected state and lack of publicity, the council is eager to instigate greater interest in what was England's fifth largest keep.

Information boards detailing its rich history, improved paths in the grounds and permanent fences are options being heavily considered by the authority - with the £80,000 project expected to go out for tender in the coming months.

Mr Carmichael said: "People who come to the city don't even know there is a castle here so it would be nice to make improvements by reopening the lovely grounds and publicising it more.

"Then, in the long term, we need to focus on the keep as eventually it's just going to go due to its condition."

Taken by the French without struggle in 1216, the keep was left in ruins in 1609 having never seen a battle.

Away from the city's centuries-old buildings, a number of other developments are adding to the scaffold-heavy climate in Canterbury.

The Slatters Hotel project is still ongoing in St Margaret's Street, as too are the works in the Tannery.

Stour Street is also a building site while the former industrial building near Rosemary Lane car park is transformed into residential units, and a host of other shops are undergoing works involving the need for scaffolding.

What do you think? Comment below or email kentishgazette@thekmgroup.co.uk.