An under-fire property management company is facing the wrath of residents on another new-build estate in Kent over huge hikes to bills.

Dozens of homeowners at Taylor Wimpey’s Shorncliffe Heights development in Folkestone are calling for FirstPort to be sacked.

Amid mounting anger over rocketing service charges, the company has now frozen residents’ accounts as it urgently investigates “inconsistencies” in how much people are being asked to pay.

It comes after KentOnline revealed FirstPort had been kicked out of the Faversham Lakes new-build estate following a similar backlash.

At Shorncliffe Heights, where former army barracks are being turned into 1,200 homes, residents are concerned over a lack of transparency when faced with “astronomical fees”.

They are being backed by the town’s MP, who says it is unacceptable for bills to be “dramatically hiked”.

Many residents are being asked to pay FirstPort hundreds of pounds more annually for the maintenance of the estate.

FirstPort previously told residents it had been forced to increase the total amount it charges across the sprawling site from £269,150 to £324,020 due to external contractors raising prices.

Invoices seen by KentOnline show one freeholder’s annual bill almost doubled from £382 in 2024 to £693 in 2025. Meanwhile, one leaseholder was asked to stump up an eye-watering £1,688.91 this year.

But FirstPort has now frozen people’s accounts after being made “aware of an inconsistency [...] for different phases of the build”.

Sarah and Stephen Englefield, who moved into the second phase of the development in 2023, were left stunned at being told they owed money from three years ago.

Seeing their service charge double has left the pair frightened they will be unable to afford it in the future.

Mrs Englefield said: “It's quite worrying, isn't it? The developers who give over to these management companies, they're not thinking about who they're giving it over to.

“It's all expected costs and they're meant to send out at the end of the financial year a breakdown of what their actual expenditures were but we haven't had that yet.

“You ask them questions and they just won’t answer.”

Retired engineer Neil Bartram, who has lived on the estate since 2019, says FirstPort’s delivery of services has been “consistently poor” while the annual maintenance charges have “consistently risen above inflation”.

He said: “The big point for me is that there's no transparency in the costs.

“Ongoing and escalating costs, along with the potential impact on the saleability of the property are a rising concern for me.”

KentOnline has been sent multiple invoices dated 2025 from leaseholders who have been asked to pay money from 2021/22.

But the Landlord and Tenants Act 1985 limits how long a landlord or management firm can recover service charge costs from a tenant.

It states those attempting to collect payment have 18 months to notify tenants of service charge costs and should they ask any later, they cannot recover the costs.

FirstPort says it is not breaking the law by asking for these backdated payments, because it informed residents of delays in their 2021/22 accounts in August 2023.

Meanwhile, many freeholders say they are being asked to cough up cash for a period when their house had not even been built.

When the first residents moved into Shorncliffe Heights, a firm called Chamonix Estates was in charge of maintenance. Chamonix was then acquired and replaced by FirstPort, which now manages communal spaces and services such as drains, landscaping and lighting for an indefinite time period.

This is because when Folkestone and Hythe District Council (FHDC) granted planning permission for the development, it chose not to incorporate the area, though it does charge council tax – another gripe of many living on the estate.

Many hope the council or Taylor Wimpey could intervene to force FirstPort out, as has happened at Faversham Lakes.

“It is unacceptable for bills to be dramatically hiked, and spurious charges imposed without transparency…”

However, FHDC says it will not intervene beyond the already-agreed purchase of 44 flats on the estate, which will be made available via affordable rent and shared ownership.

A spokesperson told KentOnline: “It is common practice across the country for a management company to provide ongoing maintenance for the common parts of new developments and it is usual that a service charge is paid by residents.

“Local authorities cannot afford to take on this responsibility due to funding cuts and the need to deliver a whole host of statutory services.

“Although we are responsible for collecting council tax, Folkestone & Hythe District Council receives only a small percentage of it – the largest proportion is paid to Kent County Council and the Office of the Kent Police and Crime Commissioner.”

FirstPort says its property manager regularly visits Shorncliffe Heights to meet with residents and address their concerns.

A spokesperson said: “We are aware of an inconsistency in the accounts for different phases of the build and we are urgently investigating the issue. Customer accounts have been placed on hold while we conduct a review, and we will provide updates to customers as soon as we have more information.”

Housebuilding giant Taylor Wimpey says it is aware of the worries residents have about the management company.

A spokesperson said: "We recently met with FirstPort to discuss the concerns that were brought to our attention by some residents and to assist in finding a solution where appropriate."

Folkestone and Hythe’s Labour MP Tony Vaughan is a member of a group of Parliamentarians “taking action on leasehold reform”.

He says FirstPort’s managing director recently met with MPs and agreed to several concessions - including a new detailed breakdown of bills being rolled out within six months to all residents and an elimination of errors, with the charges “sufficiently detailed that residents can effectively challenge rises”.

Mr Vaughan says the MD also agreed to “regular management meetings with residents, clear key performance indicators for service quality improvement and clear timeframes for delivery, information on compensation for failures, information about fees and pricing needing to be provided to MPs - together with an explanation for pricing increases versus the market, and providing an MP hotline for casework”.

Mr Vaughan added: “It is unacceptable for bills to be dramatically hiked, and spurious charges imposed without transparency.

“Managing agents need to know that they will be held to account with a Labour MP representing the areas they serve.

“I commend the FirstPort managing director’s willingness to engage and to provide answers to concerns raised and look forward to hearing from local FirstPort representatives to discuss Shorncliffe Heights.”