REGARDING the regeneration of Townhill Park, as a lifelong resident of Southampton and with no previous allegiance to either the Conservative or the Labour Party, I have to say that I find the situation regarding the Townhill Park Regeneration Programme to be totally ridiculous.

The Conservative administration spent a whole lot of local taxpayers money drawing up plans and holding consultations to get this scheme under way, informing residents that the programme was progressing well.

All well and good, so why did the incoming Labour administration feel the need to throw all that away and start the process afresh?

Why spend even more taxpayers money on doing exactly the same things all over again? This has to be, in anyone’s view, absolute stupidity!

The scheme that was in place was virtually fully funded by the Housing Associations and a government grant running into many millions, and with hardly any cost to the local taxpayer.

The current Labour administration surprisingly refused the government money, leaving the local taxpayer to make up the shortfall... you and me!

Why? I expect we’ve all known of a financial blunder somewhere, but this one surely takes the biscuit!

So now, with building costs far higher than in 2012, under this current administration, we are going to pick up the bill in higher local taxes, guaranteed!

I would say to the residents in Townhill Park, don’t hold your breath, because according to his own statement printed in the Daily Echo (17/7/15), Mr Payne has just realised that he will need to look at compulsory purchasing some of the properties destined for demolition, a process that can take around 18-24 months.

Shouldn’t you have thought about that in 2012 Mr Payne? No wonder people are calling for him to resign, he’s clearly not up to the job or being careful and responsible with our money!

Maybe we should all think about getting a Conservative administration back in the local elections next May.

I might even vote for them myself as my previous votes for other parties have been wasted.

To be fair, the Conservatives haven’t always given us what we have wanted here in Southampton, but on the whole I believe looking back over the years, their administrations have usually been of bigger benefit to the Southampton public, with frozen or very low annual Council Tax rises and even lower car parking charges.

Ms Sharon Stacy, Thornhill, Southampton