People living in a block of flats threatened by demolition have hit out at the council for moving them out of their homes too quickly.

Broadwater Farm Residents’ Association accused Haringey Council of setting an October deadline for moving people out of the Tangmere block on the Tottenham estate because it wants to demolish the building.

The Tangmere and Northolt blocks failed structural safety checks carried out in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy, and the council has proposed knocking the blocks down and replacing them.

Tangmere residents face being moved out of their homes by October 30, when piped gas will be removed from the block, meaning there will be no supply of heating and hot water.

Speaking at a meeting of Haringey’s cabinet on Tuesday (June 26), Jacob Secker, secretary of the Broadwater Farm Residents’ Association, questioned the council’s motives.

He said: “We are very concerned about the October deadline for moving everyone out of my block. Safety is our priority. Residents have lived with the safety issue on Tangmere and Northolt for 50 years now, and of course we want it solved as soon as possible.

“However, the October deadline is not in itself due to safety; it is due to the fact that Haringey does not want to spend £1.3 million on a temporary boiler, which would give enough time for residents to be decanted properly.

“Other blocks are getting those temporary boilers. It’s not meant for Tangmere – basically because the council wants to knock the block down.”

Mr Secker warned it would not be possible to find suitable accommodation for all residents by October 30 and called for a “plan B”.

He also demanded a right to return for people moved out of the block, saying it was not clear whether the council had committed to offering all residents a new property once reconstruction had finished.

Haringey Council wants to demolish the blocks and replace them with “high-quality, new council homes” instead of strengthening the existing structures.

It has promised to consult with residents before making a decision about the fate of the flats.

At Tuesday's meeting, councillors denied plans were being made to demolish the buildings and said the move had been proposed for safety reasons.

Cllr Emine Ibrahim, cabinet member for housing and estate renewal, said: “The fact remains that Tangmere and Northolt failed the safety test and that needs to be of paramount importance.

“We feel it would be absolutely irresponsible of us not to express a view on what we think would be a really good outcome.”

She gave Mr Secker a “political commitment” that all homes rebuilt in the event of a demolition would be “100 per cent council homes at council rents”.

Cllr Ibrahim added: “A temporary boiler would not alone solve the issues in Tangmere – it would still need to be strengthened.”

Council officers said there were no plans to rehouse people in hotels and bed and breakfasts, adding 84 vacant properties had already been secured to rehouse the 89 tenants of the block.

The cabinet agreed to begin temporarily rehousing people immediately and to launch a consultation with residents on the future of the blocks.

Councillors added an amendment to reflect the commitments made by the Cllr Ibrahim.