THE CHAIRMAN of Hounslow borough's largest residents group has resigned following a public row with council bosses.

Dave Cox stepped down as head of Hounslow Federation of Tenants and Residents Associations (HFTRA) last week. He called it a day after the heads of two residents groups represented by HFTRA wrote to him calling for a vote of no confidence in his stewardship.

HFTRA was set up more than 40 years ago to give a voice to people living in properties managed by the council's housing arm Hounslow Homes. It represents 44 smaller residents groups across the borough.

The group used to receive council funding but that was frozen earlier this year after a council audit raised concerns about its financial management.

The council said it would be irresponsible to resume funding without addressing the issues, but Mr Cox insisted HFTRA had already made the recommended changes and the council was refusing to cooperate.

When Mr Cox received a joint letter from Brentford Towers and Clayponds residents associations, calling for a vote of no confidence in the chair and his executive, he decided enough was enough.

"I've been putting 30 or 40 hours a week of my time into the role and I'd come to the conclusion I wasn't getting anywhere," he said.

Mr Cox claims the council audit was only carried out after he voiced concerns about what he described as excessive spending on HFTRA's annual conference last year, which he said cost £6,000 to run.

He was also unhappy about major changes, like bringing leaseholder services back in-house and phasing out live-in wardens at sheltered housing units, being made unilaterally by councillors in what are known as 'single member decisions'.

He said HFTRA's annual conference, offering free information and advice about issues from benefits to repairs, was now unlikely to go ahead this autumn.

Mr Cox replaced Julie Brooker, who runs Clayponds Residents Association, as HFTRA chair in November 2011. It is not known who will replace him or his former vice-chairman Ronnie Doran, who stepped down a few weeks earlier.

Councillor Steve Curran, Hounslow's cabinet member for housing, said: "I'd like to thank Dave for his hard work over the years on behalf of local tenants and leaseholders, and wish him all the best for the future."