Southwood Country Park has been being built for quite a few years now, and even the Visitor Centre has yet to be completed. There is still plenty of evidence of the "Country Park" being a Golf Course a few years ago. 

The paths are poorly maintained, there is no real evidence of any substantial planting of native British Wildflowers, trees, or any sign of re-introduction of any wildlife. The whole Southwood Country Park idea seems like a vain and meaningless vanity project. I would argue that it is typical of the Conservative-led Rushmoor Borough Council (RBC) to start a venture without any foresight or Plan B. 

I understand that the membership levels were not considered sufficient to maintain the Southwood Golf Course, but the so-called "Country Park" still looks like a very poorly maintained golf course. There are literally sandy bunkers and all manner of golf-related symbols of its past proudly on display.   

The paths become flooded and inaccessible when there is heavy rain, and it would be almost impossible for anyone using a wheelchair to have a good look around. Local residents should be provided with a much better country park considering council tax has just gone up - again.  

The Rushmoor Conservatives have completely and entirely neglected their crowning vanity project and with the local Borough elections currently in process, you would have thought that they would have invested a little more time into making Southwood Country Park look more appealing and less trashy. 

Anyone who believes this shoddy workmanship or lack of any actual is good enough whilst our utility bills, food and drink prices, fuel prices, and council tax rates increase is obviously voting Tory looking at life through rose-tinted lenses. The status quo is simply not good enough and everyone must stop pretending it is. 

I would advise against voting for a Conservative Party candidate locally as they simply do not get things done, they drastically cut and reduce local services, the local Tories have failed to adequately protect UK species from further decline and the new ultra-green agenda forced on them by the Liberal Democrats has not delivered on its promises.  

The sad part is that there are no Independents, Reform UK, or even UKIP running for a seat in Farnborough & Aldershot at this year's local elections in Rushmoor. Even the Green Party and Monster Raving Looney Party failed to find a single candidate to stand for any ward. 

By Zack Culshaw