OPPOSITION councillors are supporting people on an East End estate in creating a pressure group to hold their housing association to account.

By Else Kvist

OPPOSITION councillors are supporting people on an East End estate in creating a pressure group to hold their housing association to account.

Leaseholder and freeholder groups across five estates run by East End Homes are creating an estate-wide residents association which they are seeking recognition for from the social landlord.

And following a meeting last night at the Glamis estate in Shadwell they have won support from Tory deputy leader Tim Archer and Respect councillor Abjol Miah. The other Respect councillors at Tower Hamlets have also pledged their support along with MP George Galloway.

Cllr Archer, who is also expecting to get support from the rest of the Tory group, has now proposed a motion for the next full council meeting on January 27, calling on all councillors to put pressure on East End Homes to recognise the newly formed association.

Representatives for the new association say they are forming the group because of "growing alarm" over annual service charges and the cost of major regeneration work on the estates.

They say they want to try and stop "the decline in relations between residents and East End Homes" before its risks becoming an "open conflict."

During the meeting the aims and manifesto of the East End homes leaseholders and Freeholders Association were discussed.