Our suburbs are under attack from two fronts. Ambitious house building quotas threaten to impose tower blocks in our neighbourhoods and cladding removal costs could cripple many leaseholders.

Under proposals, residents will be unable to object to any new buildings springing up as automatic approvals will be available in new-designated growth areas.

Of course, we must kick start our economy and build more homes, but we must build homes that people want to live in.

Ilford Recorder: Iain Duncan Smith says residents must be able to oppose local building developmentsIain Duncan Smith says residents must be able to oppose local building developments (Image: PA Archive/PA Images)

On top of this, there are the crippling costs facing leaseholders who live in tall buildings where the cladding is deemed unsafe and must be removed. I know the government have already committed £5bn, but only leaseholders in blocks over 18 metres are eligible for grants. For those in buildings under 18 metres, a long-term loan is what is left to them.

Sadly, developers are not yet required to contribute. Some of us tried in recent legislation to get the government to require developers to pay, especially where cladding was not even compliant at the time of building.

Sadly, we failed. However, with new legislation coming along, the government is under pressure to make developers pay their fair share.

Hard-working people save every penny to buy homes they can call their own and the character of their neighbourhoods should be retained. That’s why they must keep their right to oppose any and all such developments in the future.