More than 50 council tenants agreed on Saturday last week to lobby their MPs for more government money to prevent the sell-off of their homes.

They voiced their feelings at a conference in Ealing Town Hall, marking the start of the council's consultation into the proposed transfer of its 19,000 homes to a separate housing association to bail it out of debt.

The council believes that selling its houses to a housing association, which has more freedom than the council to borrow money, is the most feasible way of raising the money to cover the £30 million a year of investment needed to maintain its properties over the next 10 years.

'We have overspent by £18 to 20 million per year on our housing stock and £9 to 10 million of that per year we've taken from our balances.

'If nothing else changes we will have only £10 million a year to spend instead of £30 million,' Chris Dallison, director of regeneration and housing, told the conference.

But he came under fire from residents angry that the sell-off was the only option presented to them.

'Why have the council got into this dilemma of not having sufficient money to maintain stock in sufficient condition?' asked a South Acton tenant.

'I'm very sad that they have to borrow money just to do repairs.'

And Graham Corscadden, of St Paul's Close in Ealing Common, gained loud applause as he said: 'The government should reinstate financial provision for councils to maintain their property as they did 20 years ago.

'We need money to build more council houses. The government needs to get off its backside ,, it can easily afford to get this council up and running.'

The new landlord of a housing transfer would be known as a registered social landlord ,, a non-profit making association run by a voluntary board of management, which could consist of councillors, residents and skilled individuals.

The topics of workshops at the half-day conference included tenants rights under new management, rents and repairs needed in council homes and how they should be funded.

Rents could be kept affordable under a registered social landlord as it would start free from debt and would not have to pay housing benefits, tenants were told.

If the transfer went ahead, council tenants would keep their right to buy their homes and their right to pass on their home to a relative when they die.

But would lose their right to manage, to form a tenant organisation to manage properties in its area within a budget agreed by the council, and would no longer be eligible for the rent to mortgage scheme ,, enabling them to pay part rent and part mortgage on their home.

Housing head Chris Dallison promised residents the transfer would only happen if the majority of tenants voted for it in a ballot, predicted for next summer. 'If it's to go ahead it's because residents believe it's right for them.'

Visits to the council's sheltered housing and regular briefings are planned in the next few weeks and feedback will be considered by Cabinet in September.

If tenants express interest, more detailed proposals will be put to them in the spring before a ballot in the summer.

An information helpline has been set up on 0800 328 3632.