The church had successfully applied to tear down the mansion, provoking protests from local residents and the Central and Western District Council. The church had refused to disclose its redevelopment plan for the hall - which was being used for administration purposes.

Since October, when it was on the brink of being pulled down, the building has been covered by bamboo scaffolding.

Kwok Ka-ki, independent district councillor for Central and Western, said he was disappointed with the slow progress over the plan to save Kom Tong Hall.

'Our major concern is the condition of the old building, which needs regular maintenance and repairs to prevent it from seriously deteriorating.'

Dr Kwok said he would urge the government to disclose the progress of its negotiations with the Mormon Church.

'We understand that the government needs to keep the terms in the negotiation confidential. However, it should at least report to the District Council on the progress of the negotiation, as many people in the district are very concerned over the fate of the building,' Dr Kwok said.

Cheng Lai-king, a Democratic Party district councillor, said neighbouring residents in Seymour Road had long complained that the scaffolding was an eyesore and worried it might be dangerous.

'The scaffolding seems unnecessary,' Ms Cheng said.

'The residents are concerned about [it] and complain that it is so ugly.'

Some critics believe that the church has deliberately kept the scaffolding - which some residents fear might come loose during a typhoon or high winds - in place to pressure the government to reach a timely resolution.

A spokeswoman for the Leisure and Cultural Services Department said that while the government was determined to preserve the hall, 'at the moment a proposal that can be agreed on by both parties has not been reached'.

She said the government did not want to comment on the negotiations because 'we don't want to put any pressure on the church. We want to keep good relations with the church'.

A spokesman for the Mormon Church in Hong Kong was equally silent on the progress of the talks. He said: 'The church is still in negotiations with the government and we have been requested not to discuss the negotiations.'

Andrew Tse, the great-grandson of Ho Kom-tong, the man who built the hall, said he recently received a reply from the Mormon headquarters in Utah, in the US, that the church was optimistic a deal would be reached in time to satisfy all sides.

'They are negotiating on the value of the property,' he said. 'I think the government is quite determined to save the building.'

It is classified as a grade II-listed historical building, meaning the government is not legally empowered to stop it being redeveloped.