TENANTS of a cooperative who have invested £600,000 in A406 housing are mounting a campaign to prevent themselves from being evicted from their homes.

Riverlink Housing Cooperative, set up to provide homes for single and homeless people, houses 54 people along the blighted Bowes/Telford Road part of the North Circular.

Many of the 350 houses along the stretch fell into disrepair after successive Government plans to improve the area were scrapped due to a lack of funds.

Frustrated with the lack of Government action, the self-sufficient charity leased the properties from Enfield Council and has invested hundreds of thousands of pounds in them, installing fitted kitchens and bathrooms by pooling rent money.

They have trained about ten of their members to become qualified electricians and plumbers to carry out the work, which means the only money they spend on renovation is the cost of materials.

Now the area is set for an £80m revamp with about 300 of the two, three and four bedroom properties set to be restored as large homes for families.

And though this is good news for many, it is a blow for Riverlink tenants, who do not fit these criteria, and fear they will be evicted.

Nigel Greenwood, a policy officer for Riverlink and former Housing manager at Haringey Council, said: “We have done what the Government has failed to do for the past 40 years. We’ve prevented properties falling into disrepair and so saved considerable sums for the authorities. We’re also housing single people who fall outside the housing legislation. Not only are they going to turf us out but they will take our assets as well.”

Green Party London Assembly member Jenny Jones, who met with Riverlink tenants last month, is currently arranging a meeting with NHHT management and and said she was concerned that tenants "had not been well informed" about their future.

Resident Peter Krakowiak said: “Many residents will probably end up on waiting lists, waiting for a permanent place. If the landlord wants to sell that person is back to square one. We’re faced with a lot of uncertainty for years to come.”

Resident Jason Atomic said: “Riverlink is a family and we're almost self sufficient.

“I was unemployed, and am now self employed as an artist, as are my flatmates. If we lose our homes we lose our business space as well.”

Deputy Council Leader Michael Lavender said that many of the houses let to organisations such as Riverlink were let under non-secure contracts with below market rents on the grounds that many houses were in a state of severe disrepair.

He said: “We all knew that the day would come when a solution to end the blight on the A406 would mean that the premises would need to be vacated, and unfortunately for those directly affected that time has now arrived.”

Ownership of all of the 350 houses is now being gradually transferred from Transport for London (TfL) to NHHT, which is expected to be in full control in October.

He said NHHT is currently carrying out a review, a process which is likely to take about two months.

He said: “Once we establish the status of residents and their housing aspirations we will be reviewing our proposals with the council and the HCA.”

Enfield Council, which leased some of the homes from TfL, is also in the process drawing up a “lettings policy” to identify which residents qualify for priority housing or are secure tenants, and cannot be moved.

Mr Barnett added: “Legally TfL could have served notice on Enfield Council and other occupiers and sold the properties on the open market. This would have resulted in the council having to find alternative accommodation for residents. Our involvement has prevented this scenario. Our single ownership also ensures the regeneration of the area.”