Welcome to the LOSRA Website
As with any other local neighbourhood, the policies and actions which affect the character and future of Lower Sunbury are generally framed and implemented by a combination of local and national government, along with the vested interests and market forces which operate within those frameworks. Lower Sunbury is by no means unique in being under threat from a creaking infrastructure brought about by rapid urban development, the growth of traffic, and other pressures affecting the quality of life and the character of the area.
Working with the local authorities, we see it as the responsibility of residents’ and amenity groups such as LOSRA to address the underlying issues which fundamentally affect their members’ lives, as well as the minutiae of everyday life with which such groups are often concerned.
Please sign up to receive our regular e-bulletins by subscribing via the facility at the top left hand of this page. It goes without saying that, without your continued support we would cease to function so we urge you to join, or renew your membership now Subscriptions (£5 per household) for 2024 are now payable.
Local Plan Review
The following announcement has been sent to LOSRA by Spelthorne Borough Council:
The Council is in the process of reviewing its Local Plan which sets out how much development should be allowed in Spelthorne
The review will have to balance the need for new homes and jobs against the ability to accommodate development taking into account issues such as Green Belt, flood risk and infrastructure. At the end of the review exercise the Council will put forward how much development it thinks can be met to an independent Planning Inspector.
In preparing the Local Plan, the Council has to discuss and share its work with a wide range of other bodies to help understand whether it is taking account of planning issues across a wider area. As part of these discussions Spelthorne and Runnymede Councils have been working together to look at housing needs across their combined area over the next 20 years in a Housing Market Assessment.
The assessment is required by government and must consider future housing needs based on population and jobs growth without taking into account whether the Borough can meet this. As such, these figures are what would be required in an ideal world to meet this assessed demand, rather than what the Borough can accommodate. This aspect will be explored at a later stage as a separate part of the review of the Local Plan. Only after this will any decisions be taken.
A draft of the housing market assessment is due to be considered by Cabinet on 24 June. If agreed, the Council will be seeking views on the draft assessment in accordance with the Council’s proposed Statement of Community Involvement. The assessment will be just one part of the evidence to inform the review of the Local Plan.
Cllr Vivienne Leighton, Cabinet Member for Planning and Corporate Development said: “The Local Plan will set out the levels of development we expect to see in the Borough to 2033 and the Housing Market Assessment is a new statutory requirement which forms just one part of the evidence to inform this. I must stress these figures are not the end result; this will be curtailed by the physical capacity of the Borough. To involve stakeholders at the earliest opportunity and before key decisions have been made we are publishing our draft Housing Market Assessment from 25 June on our website and welcome comments from residents and businesses.”
Cllr Richard Smith-Ainsley, Chair of the Planning Committee said: “The draft Housing Market Assessment is due to be published on 25 June and will be available for comment on the Council’s website. A separate exercise to establish the amount and type of housing the Borough can sustain will be carried out later. This will take into account all of the factors, such as Green Belt and flood plain that restrict development in Spelthorne.”
LOSRA expects to take an active part in the Review and has asked to be represented on the Stakeholder Forum which will be involved throughout the Review period. That request has been agreed.
The Sunbury and Shepperton Arts Association Announces its Summer Programme
Starting on 17th July, this year's Festival presents a ten day programme of events covering a variety of art forms.
Drama and Comedy:
The Laughing Chili Comedy Club gets the Festival off to an entertaining start and then later in the week Chester House Productions treat us to the story of Florence Nightingale.
Talks and Demonstrations:
Returning by popular demand, renowned crossword setter Tim Moorey will give a talk on Dr Johnson and his Dictionary; Francesco from local restaurant 'Little Italy' gives an Italian cookery demonstration; for art lovers, John Spink will talk to us about the Golden Age of British Watercolours.
We are delighted that Shepperton Studios will again host a talk about the history and future of our famous local film studios.
Music and Dance:
A rare chance to see and hear Italian music and dance is brought to us by Amaraterra; the David Way String Trio play Beethoven, Breval and Bach followed by a Cream Tea; a musical drama 'Alive to Tell the Story' telling the last days of Jesus' life through the words of Lazarus is presented by Sunbury Methodist Church. Our final musical event is a Coffee Concert given by the young and exciting Ellis Ensemble.
Boat trip:
To round off the Festival, join us for a boat trip from Walton to Chertsey and back. Local historian, Nick Pollard, will tell us about the history of the islands and riverside.
With the exception of the Shepperton Studios talk and the Boat Trip, all events will be held at the Riverside Arts Centre, 59 Thames Street, Lower Sunbury
Booking for the Festival is now open - please telephone the Box Office on 01932 567 365 to book your tickets.
Festival details and a booking form are also published in all Village Matters magazines and may be viewed here.
Does Anyone Recognise this Cat?
Two days ago this very handsome looking cat took up residence at St. Mary's parish church, Sunbury.
Attempts to contact the owner by calling the phone number on its collar have been unsuccessful.
Do you recognise the cat and can you help find its owner? If so, please get in touch.
Patients Participation Group Meeting at Sunbury Health Centre, 15th June
The next Open Meeting of the Patients' Participation Group will be held at Sunbury Health Centre on Monday 15th June at 6.30pm.
It will be seen from the attached notice that whilst general comments, suggestions or questions from patients will be welcomed, it will not be the appropriate forum for discussing individual cases or issues.
Residents Offered Free Online Business Advice
Spelthorne Borough Council has partnered with the online business support service, My Incubator Ventures (MIV), to offer local residents free access to online business advice.
Residents of the Borough will now be able to speak with professional business mentors online in real-time* from the comfort of their home, office or whilst on the move. Whether it’s start-up advice or advice for an existing small business that’s needed, MIV’s experienced mentors can help.
The MIV website contains a wealth of business information including useful articles and templates which can be downloaded. MIV users can also keep up-to-date with the latest news and events happening in the small business world.
To use the MIV live chat service, visit www.spelthorne.gov.uk/miv
In December 2014, MIV won the ‘Future of Enterprise Support’ award at the National Enterprise Network awards, an award that recognises ‘exceptional innovation’ in the enterprise industry. Director of MIV, Greg Thomas, said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Spelthorne Council and this is fantastic news for residents in the area. We hope that this will inspire further enterprise and give existing businesses the opportunity to seek the support they may need.”
* Business mentors are available to chat to between 9am – 5pm, Monday to Friday (*excluding bank holidays).
The Manor Players Presents: 'Three Years a Prime Minister' 18 - 20th June at the Riverside Arts Centre
This is the true story of Spencer Perceval, the only British PM ever to have been assassinated.
The characters are real or based on persons alive in the early 19th century as the Prime Minister struggled with opposition from all sides. Napoleon, the Prince Regent, the fight to abolish slavery; the unrest in the North, trade blockades, the madness of King George; and a belligerent USA...
His enemies were numerous, but who was behind his killing, carried out by a disaffected businessman?
Written and Directed by Geoff Buckingham whose earlier success was "Violette - the Fight for Freedom" 20 actors; 42 scenes; 36 characters; period costumes... A theatrical experience not to be misse.
Doors Open at 7:15PM Starts at 7:45PM Ticket Price: £8 - £10
Box office Call: 0777 145 8696
email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
More...
Trembling Wilburys Come to Sunbury Cricket Club, 19th June
The next Music Night is on Friday 19th June, when the Club welcomes for the first time The Trembling Wilburys. The Club doesn't normally feature tribute bands, but this one is very different, because within their seven-piece line-up they have the talent to perform not just the repertoire of the Travelling Wilburys, but also that of the five legendary stars who came together to form what was a unique blend of styles.
The evening will provide a veritable cavalcade of rock cameos, as alongside the Travelling Wilburys’ material, they do Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne songs as well. The band includes Dzal Martin on guitar, originally with No Dice and now also with Terry Reid and The Equals, as well as the uncanny George Harrison persona of Glen Knowler, and Dave Collison recapturing Roy Orbison in startling fashion. They’ve been doing some high-profile gigs around the country and in Europe. Full information may be found at www.tremblingwilburys.co.uk
Irrigation Reservoir Under Construction at Vicarage Farm
A number of local residents have reported to our Association that an irrigation reservoir is under construction at Vicarage Farm, Halliford Road, and which is in clear view from School Walk. It is indeed a very substantial development of the farmland.
Local authority planning consent is required for most reservoirs except those for 'minor agricultural developments' provided for under the Town & Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 but this development which cannot be described as 'minor' was in fact the subject of a planning application (14/00779/PDA) and was approved without any objections having been received prior to the commencement of works. The Local Planning Authority advised LOSRA that letters were sent to residents nearby at the time the application was made.
For further information, visit: http://my.spelthorne.gov.uk/planning/ and enter the reference number above.
Sunbury Gardens Open Day, Sunday 28th June
The ever popular Sunbury Open Gardens Day enters its twelth year.
For further details, ticket sales and bookings, visit: http://www.sunburyopengardens.co.uk
Surrey County Council Warns of Road Closures During Magna Carta Commemorations
LOSRA has received the following email from Surrey County Council and it is reproduced here for the information of residents:
Later this month, Surrey will be at the heart of historic celebrations to mark 800 years of Magna Carta. A national commemoration event, attended by HM the Queen and other dignitaries from the UK and throughout the world, will be held at Runnymede Meadows on Monday 15 June – exactly 800 years after the Magna Carta was sealed in the same location.
How will roads be affected by the event on Monday 15 June?
In the lead up to and on the day of the event there are planned closures on the A308 Windsor Road. Diversions will be in place, but the roads will be very busy so we are encouraging residents to plan ahead to try and avoid the area, especially during the morning of Monday 15 June. From 1am on Monday 15 June there will also be parking restrictions in place on a small number of roads in Egham, Englefield Green and Old Windsor.
Can residents attend the event?
For safety and security reasons the event is invitation only, but there will be large TV screens on the meadow near the National Trust lodges at Runnymede where residents are welcome to watch the ceremony. Please bear in mind that the usual access routes will be extremely restricted throughout the day on Monday 15 June, and that the National Trust car parks at Runnymede and the nearby Runnymede Pleasure Grounds car park will be closed. The easiest way to get to the site will be to use local footpaths, which will remain open.
Thank you for your support in keeping residents informed about the planned road closures, and please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions at all. For more information please visit surreycc.gov.uk/magnacarta, or follow @SurreyTravel on Twitter for live travel updates on the day of the event.
Kind regards,
The Magna Carta team
Surrey County Council
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Telephone: 03456 009 009
SMS: 07527 182 861
Hawkedale Infants School Public Meeting,17th June
Residents in Stratton Road and adjacent streets have expressed concern about the intended expansion from 90 to 210 pupils at Hawkedale School. Whilst it is recognised that existing school capacities are not going to meet the needs of increasing populations especially in the south east, there is anxiety over the adverse impact on traffic and parking in these quiet residential roads.
To answer these concerns, a public meeting will be held at Hawkedale Infants School on Wednesday 17th June at 7pm. All local residents and other interested parties are welcome.
LOSRA Annual General Meeting, 1st July 2015
The Association will be holding its AGM at 8pm on Wednesday 1st July at the Riverside Arts Centre, Thames Street.
The AGM Newsletter, which has been sent to the printers for distribution to households in June, may be viewed by clicking here.
It will be noted that reference is made to the inclusion of a flier appealing to those who have not yet registered their preferences for the location of a cycle/footbridge. If you have not yet completed the online ballot you are urged to do so now by clicking here or on the banner on the top of the Home Page.
Inconsiderate Parking at London Irish Mini Festival, 26th April
Residents living in the vicinity of the Hazelwood Training Centre will have noticed the thoughtless and inconsiderate parking by many of the visitors to the London Irish annual Mini Festival on 26th April. After receiving a number of complaints the Association raised the matter at a meeting with the Chairman of the Organising Committee.
Before discussing steps to be taken to minimise disruption next year, the Chairman was anxious to point out the measures they had taken to prevent parking congestion before this year's event and it is only fair to point these out:
- informaton pack sent out to attendees 3 & 1 weeks before the event;
- made clear that no parking was available at Hazelwood;
- made clear that consideration for the club's neighbours is needed;
- all visitors guided to use coaches where possible, or public transport;
- all car users guided to use Kempton Park Race Course and shuttle bus service.
The L. Irish Amateur RFC investigated multiple options for car parking and rented 2 separate locations together with a shuttle bus transfer service at a combined cost of £1,800:
- Kempton Park - approx 650 cars parked, 5 double-decker buses used for transfer;
- St. Paul's School - approx 200 cars and 11 x 50 seat coaches parked;
- 52 car park marshals volunteered for the day's event;
- marshals used in shifts, primarily in the early morning peak period before the 10am start to the Festival and situated at 7 locations between Kempton and Croysdale Avenue;
- marshals, despite not being legally empowered to prevent visitors from parking, appealed to the goodwill of visitors not to park in the local area but to go to Kempton and use Park and Ride service;
- local police had been informed of the event in advance in order that dangerously parked or obstructing vehicles could be ticketed.
Despite these measures, 'residents parking only' signs at the top of roads parallel to Croysdale were destroyed beyond repair by vandals in the days before the Festival; some visitors chose to ignore pre-festival communications or ignored car parking marshals "as they are entitled to park as they pay road tax like anyone else".
It should be stressed that this is the first year that Hazelwood has hosted the Mini Festival and it's not surprising that there are lessons to be learnt for future years. One identified weakness is that visiting clubs did not adequately communicate to their members the information packs issued by London Irish. The Chairman has undertaken to be much more forceful in his communications to visiting clubs next year whilst accepting that this is unlikely to deter the awkward minority who have no regard for the inconvenience caused to local residents.
Next year's event is scheduled to take place on 24th April and the Chairman has agreed to communicate with LOSRA beforehand in order to alert residents through this website.
Volunteers Required to Assist in Magna Carta Celebrations
If, rather than simply being a spectator (see article below), you would like to take a more active part in the forthcoming local events celebrating the sealing of the Magna Carta, you may be interested in volunteering at the celebration events?
On Saturday 6th June there will be a Medieval Fair for which volunteers are required; and Volunteer Event Marshals are needed for the Sunbury-Staines Flotilla on 13th June. For this event, volunteers will be required at the Lower Sunbury Lock, Shepperton Lock, Chertsey Lock and Penton Hook Lock to act as marshals. The flotilla of boats will arrive in Staines-upon-Thames at around 5pm. The Medieval Fair at the Lammas in Staines-upon-Thames will include hog roasts and a jousting display.
Magna Carta Event Volunteers will be required to:
- Help set up the event area
- Help with putting the event materials away at the end of the event
- Direct people to different areas of the site
- Answer simple questions which are asked by people attending the event.
Volunteers are also needed to help at “ The Baron’s Gathering,” on Saturday 13th June. Their role will be to help set up and clear up the event, help direct the public and generally being a point of information; and to help sell programmes. The event will take place between 12.15 and 20.15 and will feature all things Medieval including jousting, falconry, combat displays and children’s activities.
Finally, volunteers will be required to assist on Sunday 14th June, whilst the boats are moored at Staines and before they sail up the river to Bell Weir Lock.
If you would like to take part in this historic event please register your interest by the end of May by contacting Voluntary Action in Spelthorne on 01784 465536 or via email on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
