The state-owned Suuremõisa Castle is one of the Western Estonian island's architectural gems and a tourist hotspot.

It is also currently home to Hiiumaa Vocational School and the municipally run Suuremõisa Kindergarten-Elementary School and Suuremõisa Library.

The Ministry of Education and Research plans to relocate vocational education in Hiiumaa to Kärdla, change what courses are offered and discontinue use of Suuremõisa Castle.

Independent council member Antti Leigri, who is also principal of Pühalepa Kindergarten-Elementary School, initiated a draft proposal suggesting that the local government ask the state to transfer the castle to Hiiumaa Municipality for free.

"In reality, the local government has already been bearing some of these costs to a certain extent, since certain institutions are already housed in this building," Leigri noted.

"Hiiumaa Municipality has likewise purchased a boiler plant from the private sector for local heating, which will undergo renovations and is also a significant cost factor," he continued. "Meaning that the heating energy issue is actually resolved too."

Hiiumaa Municipal Council chair Anu Pielberg, a member of the United Hiiumaa electoral alliance, stated that the draft proposal would be discussed at both their October and November meetings, because a cost-benefit analysis has not yet been completed based on which the council could make a decision.

"The Ministry of Education wants to drop the castle from its balance sheet, either by sale or by transfer to the municipality," Pielberg explained.

"The general understanding among Hiiumaa locals is that [the castle] should remain in public use," she continued. "Suuremõisa Castle is an extremely valuable piece of architectural heritage, and it's historically very significant to us. I believe we'll have a clearer financial picture by November as well, allowing us to make our decisions."

Hiiumaa Municipal Mayor Hergo Tasuja (SDE) added that they do have a preliminary estimate of the additional fixed costs involved.

"Looking at this manor – meaning castle – property, additional maintenance costs for the municipality would run around €200,000 annually," he said.

"And the student dormitory, which is located on a different property and also mentioned in this draft proposal, those costs exceed €60,000," he noted. "But in the case of the student dorm, it should be noted that it generates its own revenue too."

Tasuja said that the municipal government will recommend adding a condition to the draft proposal that if the municipality does take over the castle from the state, then vocational education should continue to be offered at the castle. Should the vocational school's horticulture students leave, this would be a detriment to the castle gardens – or the municipality will need to spend an additional tens of thousands of euros a year to maintain them.

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