Residents unite against "reactionary" housing group

Relations between the two sides have soured after years of fruitless talks. Eastend Homes chief executive Paul Bloss and interim financial director Peter Gibbs were even turned away from the door of Calders Wharf Community Centre by Isle of Dogs residents' group chair Gloria Thienel.

She said: "For two years they haven't given us the time of day. People wouldn't have spoken their minds if they were here and we didn't want to turn this into a slanging match."

The meeting featured a short talk from EEH's anti-social behaviour officer Linda Standing, but the main focus was on what action to take on rising charges that have concerned residents since Eastend Homes began taking on council housing estates in 2005.

Residents reported that annual insurance charges for some one-bedroom flats surged from £80 in 2008/9 to nearly £240 in 2009/10. Meeting chair and Blackwall and Cubitt Town councillor Tim Archer revealed that this is more than £200 more than the £36.35 charge for a two-bedroom flat under social landlord Tower Hamlets Community Housing.

Residents from St George's, Glamis, Holland and Mile End estates will now join Isle of Dogs campaigners to form the borough-wide Eastend Homes Leaseholders and Freeholders Association, which ultimately aims for representation on the main board of Eastend Homes.

New interim chair Jay Anstey-Hayes, of Glamis estate (pictured with Tim Archer), claims the association's approach to service charge queries was "reactionary to an alarming degree". She also expressed concern about the impact of the multi-million pound works programme planned for the estates, half of which will have to be funded by residents.

She said: "There's a very real danger we'll end up in a position where residents will not be able to afford their own homes.

"We've found that Eastend Homes leasehold services doesn't even recognise our legal right to dispute the service charges.

"If we thought it was bad with Tower Hamlets Council, we've just gone back a couple of decades."

Eastend Homes chairman Martin Young was given the chance to address the meeting, but became embroiled in an argument with residents and Cllr Archer over discrepancies in the charges, and the £500 bonus paid to staff for good performance.

Mr Young claimed the association had "wrestled long and hard" with the decision to raise charges.

He said: "There's been an increase in insurance costs generally, not just because of the fire in Mile End this year. There's been an increase in claims for things like baths overflowing, and the premiums have been seriously loaded. We think we've got the best deal possible, and if the association can find better quotes we'd be happy to look at them."

Isle of Dogs residents set up the Eastend Homes Leaseholders Association in 2007 after service charges doubled a year after the changeover. Chair Gloria Thienel has reported that her 24-flat Manchester Road estate has been erroneously hit with charges for the entire 96-unit road, and that Eastend Homes has claimed it is unable to offer refunds "retrospectively".

She said: "There are so many unhappy people and unless we get together, we're going to continue to be trodden on. I think the fact that this meeting has happened has rattled their cage. It shows we're serious."

The new group's manifesto includes plans to raise money to set up an independent leaseholders office and push for an external audit of accounting and value for money. Tower Hamlets Leaseholders Association's Andrew Coles warned it would require dedication from members.

He said: "Unless you mobilise to support this organisation, we as a group and all of the many individuals who pay service charges will be well and truly shafted.

"What Eastend Homes need to see is that there's a group of people that have had enough and are willing to put their heads above the parapet. Then they will fold."

For more information, go to eastendhomes.info