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Big Ben roof scaffolding will begin to be removed this week in 'memorable moment'

Scaffolding hiding the roof of the Elizabeth Tower, which houses Big Ben, will begin to be removed in the coming days.

Sunday 27 September 2020 06:48, UK

TOPSHOT - The face of the clock in the Elizabeth Tower, better known as Big, is pictured during restoration works at the Houses of Parliament in central London on December 16, 2019
Image: The Elizabeth Tower has been covered in scaffolding for years
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One of London's most famous landmarks will begin to be revealed this week after three years of extensive renovation.

Scaffolding hiding the roof of the Elizabeth Tower, which houses Big Ben, will begin to be removed over the coming days.

The top of the tower will be visible again but work will continue on the rest of the famous structure.

Houses of Parliament
Image: Removing the scaffolding will take six weeks

Taking down the scaffolding will take six weeks and will reveal 3,433 cast iron roof tiles which were removed and repaired in a specialist workshop.

Crumbling stone work and leaks were also fixed as part of the conservation work.

Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle said: "Like everyone else, I have been looking forward to seeing the scaffolding come down on Elizabeth Tower - so the unveiling of the roof will be a memorable moment.

"We could all do with some good news in this COVID world, so it is very exciting to actually see some more of this great icon.

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"I am hoping the conservation work that has taken place on the tower - an important symbol of our democracy - will assure its place in London's AG百家乐在线官网line for generations to come."

LONDON, NOVEMBER 11: A general view of Big Ben during renovations and covered with scaffolding early morning at sunrise on November 11, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by John Keeble/Getty Images)
Image: The renovation began in 2017 and is expected to be complete next year

The four-year restoration scheme of the Elizabeth Tower began in 2017 but it has not always been a smooth process.

In February this year it was revealed that the cost of the renovation had risen by almost a third to £79.7m.

The increase has been blamed on the discovery of asbestos, pollution and extensive Second World War bomb damage in the Elizabeth Tower, which houses the famous bell.

Big Ben clock face shows 11:00pm twenty-four hours until the UK will no longer be a member of the European Union on January 30, 2020 in London, United Kingdom
Image: The cost of the renovation has grown since it began three years ago

At the time, Ian Ailles, director general of the House of Commons, said the works are proving "more complex than we could have anticipated".

The full scale of the work needed to complete the refurbishment by the deadline late in 2021 only became clear after the first "intrusive surveys" on the 177-year-old structure, officials said.

Asbestos was found in the belfry, broken glass in the clock dials and extensive use of toxic lead paint and defects in previous work.

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