Inside UK's 'lowest ranked town' where locals claim 'there's nowhere worse in the world'

The Hampshire territory of Rushmoor, which includes Aldershot, Farnborough and the surrounding towns and villages, has been named the worst spot to unrecorded successful the UK

Aldershot successful Rushmoor, a bitterly acold and grey municipality devoid of the accustomed hustle and bustle, has been named arsenic the worst spot to unrecorded successful Britain.

This rubric was bestowed upon the Hampshire territory by the Sunday Times aft an investigation that took into relationship factors specified arsenic section transgression rates - which are astir 50 per cent higher than the remainder of the South East successful Aldershot - Ofsted schoolhouse ratings showing 2 section schools arsenic inadequate and 1 requiring improvement, and NHS waiting times that are among the worst successful the country.

George, an 80-year-old retired builder and gardener said: "It's truthful tally down." As a nonmigratory of Ash for 70 years, George lives adjacent to the municipality that has been a arrogant basal for the British Army for implicit a century, reports the Express.

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Adjacent to the café is an bare plot, erstwhile location to The Galleries buying centre. It was razed arsenic portion of a program to conception flats, leaving a gaping void successful the formerly vibrant municipality centre. With operation looming, information barriers conceal the desolate scene. "How tin you demolish a gathering that's stood for 20 years conscionable to physique different successful its place? " questioned George. "It's wealth wasted."

Clad successful a purple overgarment to fend disconnected the chill, section nonmigratory June Hood, 80, echoed George's sorrow implicit the area's decline. "It's dreadful," she declared. The retired chef, residing successful adjacent Ash Vale, fondly recalls the town's past glory. She shares: "I miss it truthful much. Marks and Spencer and Woolworths. There utilized to beryllium Army people. The soldiers would ever look smart. Now there's nothing. They're each down and out. People beryllium successful the doorways with fried chickenhearted boxes and cans of beer."

Established successful 1854 erstwhile the past War Department purchased a ample tract of onshore adjacent what was past the tiny colony of Aldershot, it has agelong been recognised arsenic the location of the British Army.

Aldershot Garrison whitethorn beryllium bustling, but it's a enigma whether the soldiers are shunning the municipality owed to its perceived downturn, staying low-key for information reasons, oregon if their hangout habits person evolved implicit time. Regardless, locals hold connected 1 thing: the municipality needs much shops.

A 70-year-old nonmigratory who has called Aldershot location since 1972, bluntly stated: "Get immoderate shops successful here." He referred to the adjacent Wellington Shopping Centre arsenic "empty" and cites the caller shutdown of the section Wilko arsenic impervious of the subpar facilities. "You can't bargain the essentials that you request present anymore. There's nary footwear store here; that's gone."

Residents besides voiced concerns astir the information of the roads, particularly for cyclists. George said: "I rhythm sometimes. I'm frightened to travel retired astatine night. If you don't cognize wherever the holes [in the roads] are, you could termination yourself."

A section mates added: "It is the worst place. We were going to the foundation store the different day, and determination was this bloke extracurricular selling drugs. This has got to beryllium the worst spot connected Earth. Where are the constabulary to woody with each these cause dealers?"

One of the mates highlighted that contempt the municipality having a ample constabulary station, it's uncommon to "never see" an serviceman connected duty. However, they person thing but praise for the section hospital, Frimley Park, which the pistillate described arsenic "brilliant".

They did explicit vexation with the section GP services, stating it's faster to dial 111 than effort to unafraid an assignment astatine the section surgery. Two surgeries successful the vicinity are presently deemed arsenic needing betterment by the Care Quality Commission – a disappointing standing besides fixed to 3 attraction homes successful the area.

Despite these issues, the mates – who person resided successful Aldershot for implicit 3 decades – find solace successful the section theatre, which they see a important asset.

Jimmy Hughes, 75, who has been a section since 1962, pointed to a pub and said: "It was truthful afloat of soldiers. Aldershot, it was similar Clapham Junction. You look astatine it now, and it's each gone. There were 2 butchers' shops present – I took my archetypal occupation successful 1 erstwhile I near school. I utilized to spot each the scooters travel down present successful the 1960s. When I spot Aldershot now, it's wholly changed."

However, not everyone agrees with Rushmoor's caller debased ranking successful the Sunday Times survey.

Rushmoor Borough Council person Cllr Gareth Williams commented: "We didn't recognise specified a antagonistic presumption of our towns. Both Aldershot and [neighbouring] Farnborough person galore large things to celebrate, with beardown planetary concern successful Farnborough, the location of British aviation, and Aldershot benefiting from its bequest of subject past and a monolithic consciousness of community.

"We are arrogant of the mode successful which radical person welcomed caller communities to our towns and of the contributions that they make. Like immoderate busy, municipality country we cognize that section nationalist services, similar the police, schools, roads, and wellness services tin beryllium nether pressure.

"That's wherefore erstwhile we took implicit the medication of the assembly past year, we made a steadfast committedness to our residents to enactment with them to amended our towns and communities, and we are delivering that done the improvement of our strategical priorities that volition bring astir semipermanent change."