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Residents who run their own estates are planning to band together following the controversial takeover by the Town Hall of the management of the Bemerton estate.

The Tribune understands that a number of tenant management organisations (TMOs) – responsible for maintenance and repairs of homes – are considering reviving the Federation of Islington Tenants’ Management Organisations.

Islington Council dramatically wound up the Bemerton Villages Management Organisation (BVMO) in August last year after discovering its board only told the Town Hall of former chairman Geoffrey Gex’s conviction for child sex offences after details were published online, despite having been aware of it for at least six weeks.

But a number of TMOs are understood to be “in the dark” about whether the council acted legally. The takeover continues to be the subject of a legal dispute between BMVO, responsible for the estate off Caledonian Road, and the Town Hall.

A spokesman for the Redbrick TMO said: “We still don’t really know what happened at Bemerton and have not been given any more information by the council. There was a meeting about safeguarding with all the TMOs but we were not given any further details.

“Following a suggestion, we are going to be asking other Islington TMOs to see how they feel about reviving the Federation of Islington TMOs. If there is support for this we would work together to find out what’s really happening.

“TMOs are small organisations. It might be better for us to work collectively to pressure the council into a meaningful discussion.”

He added: “So far we have been told by the council they can't discuss what happened at Bemerton because it’s a legal matter.

“We believe that what happened there went beyond the terms of the management agreement. The council did not follow the steps. They said this was so serious a case the agreement could be bypassed and we just have to take their word for it.

“There are now so many reasons people can find as to why the council did what they did but it’s all speculation. Now many months later we still continue to remain in the dark.”

With 25 TMOs, Islington has the largest number of these organisations of any local authority in the country.

The TMOs previously successfully challenged the council over underpayments some years ago, recouping £1million.

Gex, who lived in an estate flat in Earlsferry Way, was arrested on child porn charges in September last year. It led to his exposure as a convicted paedophile who travelled the world to pursue teenage boys for sex.

A Town Hall spokeswoman said: “The [BVMO] matters do not relate to any other TMO, and we are always happy to discuss issues of concern with TMOs at any time.”

The BVMO declined to comment because of the ongoing legal dispute.