People living at Earlham House in Norwich have agreed to join forces in protest at a planned revamp that could leave many of them homeless.

At a public meeting last night tenants and leaseholders at the Earlham Road complex agreed to set up an association to fight the plans, and arranged to meet outside Earlham House today at 10.30am to protest.

About 70 people attended the meeting where it was also agreed to invite Bellgold Properties, which owns the freehold to the Norwich site, to a public meeting where it would be asked to explain its plans.

People were also urged to write to Norwich South MP Simon Wright, who was criticised for not attending the meeting, as Earlham House falls within his constituency.

As reported, 40 people have been told their tenancies are due to be terminated, leaving them with two months from their next rent date to leave the complex.

Tenants at the meeting warned that the people facing eviction now could be the first of many across the city and country unless private landlords were regulated.

One tenant, who did not wish to be named, said the Earlham House flats were cold and damp and were virtually uninhabitable. 'This should not be happening in England in 2012,' he said.

Green councillors at the meeting, including Denise Carlo, who represents Nelson ward, added they were willing to accompany tenants to a meeting today with Bellgold Properties where they could ask questions about their eviction notices.

She said: 'We have been campaigning for improvements at Earlham House for more than five years.

'We have talked to tenants who said living in the cold flats was like living in a garage, with concrete walls. Some of the leaseholders don't even know what the plans are for Earlham House.'

Tenants were also urged to contact Norwich City Council, if they had not done so already, for information.

It was also suggested that they hire a lawyer to represent them in dealings with Bellgold Properties, whose headquarters are in Basingstoke, Hampshire.

City council Labour leader Brenda Arthur addressed the gathering at Parkside School Hall, in College Road, and afterwards said: 'Clearly this is a cross-party issue and we can only improve the situation by working together.'

Norwich City Council last month approved Bellgold's proposals to replace windows, doors and enclose balconies at the 84 flat-complex.

And little more than a week ago, councillors talked of a 'bright future' for the site after years of problems for tenants.