SCAFFOLDERS and architects are locked in a stand-off over a structure covering a historic landmark building.

Russell Kilden, director of HASTE Scaffolding, put the poles and platforms up around the Lopping Hall in Loughton High Road, which workmen have been restoring to its former Victorian glory.

But he says he has not been paid in full for the work and is refusing to take it down until project organisers hand over a further £5,000.

“I’m really disappointed,” he said. “It’s got to the stage where I’m refusing to take it down and it’s driving (project managers) insane.

“But I’m saying please pay me and I will take it down.”

He said he had put the scaffolding up in April, initially while work on the roof of the community hall was completed.

He charged £8,500 for the use of the scaffolding while it was in place for the roofing work and says he agreed to keep it there while the rest of the renovations to the building were completed, at a total cost of £15,000 for the whole period.

“There was 20 tonnes of scaffolding up,” he added. “If I had taken my scaffolding down, it would have cost them £8,500.

“If another company had put up scaffolding, it would have cost another £8,500.”

The Harlow-based scaffolder insists that the project managers, White and Mileson architects of Buckhurst Hill, agreed at the outset to pay his full £15,000 charge before the scaffolding was taken down.

“It was in the terms of the contract,” he added. “Lopping Hall is an incredible building. I just wanted to say sorry to the people of Loughton.”

Geoff Clarke, of White and Mileson, said: “I won’t discuss anything to do with any of my clients with anybody.”