Hundreds of tenants on Waltham Forest's four largest estates have signed a petition opposing a landlord's move to take the management of flats away from an award-winning community housing association.
CBHA has run estates in Chingford Hall, Cathall in Leytonstone, Boundary Road in Walthamstow and Oliver Close in Leyton for 20 years as a subsidiary of the Peabody Trust.
But the trust is looking to restructure its operations by removing CBHA's tenant-led board and taking full management control of homes.
Peabody has promised to protect frontline services and keep all local offices open, but tenants and founders of the CBHA warn important direct representation and accountability will be lost.
Representatives from all four estates, including three founding CBHA members - Debbie Griggs of Pine Close, Leyton, Peter Westley of Burnside Avenue, Chingford, and Susan Nwalema of Boundary Road, hand-delivered the petition with 490 signatures to Peabody's 12 board members at its Westminster headquarters yesterday (April 22).
Campaigners to save the CBHA protest outside the Paradox Centre on Chingford Hall estate
They were joined by tenant Amanda Vincent of Chingford Hall estate, and Rachel Olufowobi, who lives on the Cathall estate in Leytonstone.
Ex-chair Ms Griggs, has described Peabody's plans as a "hostile takeover" of a social landlord that continues to "excel and outperform Peabody on every level".
"Tenants are not happy with this, they do not want Peabody, a large housing provider on the other side of the Thames, to control their lives," she said.
"Delivering this petition is our attempt to show them exactly how residents feel and to persuade them to make a u-turn.
"We will not stop fighting to protect Waltham Forest residents."
Mr Westley fears if the CBHA is "swallowed up" as part of the "cost-cutting exercise", there will be no guarantee services will be protected in the future.
A Peabody Trust spokesman previously said: "Our proposals mean a change of name and CBHA will not continue to have its own board.
"The Peabody Board will merge the three landlord functions of the Peabody Group – CBHA, Gallions and Peabody into one.
"We accepted the Friends of CBHA petition yesterday and discussions between the two Boards are continuing."
The trust would not say when a final decision is likely to be made.
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