A hut used by generations of Borehamwood scouts is under threat from a council plan to sell the land for housing.

For more than 40 years the scout hut, in Berwick Road, Borehamwood, has been home to the 7th Borehamwood Scout Group, but now the council wants to sell the land to Ridgehill Housing Association.

Scout master Len Denbigh was one of the volunteers who built the hut in the 1960s. Although the scouts own the building they pay rent on the land to Hertsmere Borough Council.

He said: "We've been in negotiations with the council for seven years. Seven years ago the council sent surveyors round to look at the possibility of building homes here.

"We were told that if we were prepared to surrender our lease they would relocate us at no cost. If we got off the land, the council would sell it to Ridgehill to build new homes and part of the money would go to funding a new hut down the road, but at the time of exchanging leases they suddenly moved the goalposts."

The issue was due to be discussed at Wednesday night's council executive meeting but was removed from the agenda at the last minute after negotiations broke down. It is understood that the council demanded a series of strict conditions on the ownership of the new scout hut and the rent the scout group would have to pay.

Mr Denbigh said: "If we don't, we face a major overhaul of the current building which hasn't had any maintenance in the past three years because we thought we'd be moving on."

The 7th Borehamwood Scout Group currently caters for 32 boys between the ages of six and 14.

Mr Denbigh said: "The scouts have always been here to serve the community, and we are in one of the most deprived wards in Hertfordshire with a great number of our children coming from single parent families.

"We don't turn anyone down because they can't afford to come. But we would find it very difficult to keep our head above water under the new terms."

Neville Thompson, from the council's estates department, said: "I think it's fair to say the goalposts have moved.

"Whatever was agreed, that was five years ago and things have changed.

"There are on-going discussions between the parties and nothing has been decided yet.

"Discussions are going on with the scouts and a number of issues have been identified that need to be resolved before a report can go forward to the executive."