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 2023 are now payable.
The Three Simons (Three Tenors) Christmas Special at the RAC, 19th December
In what has now become a Christmas tradition at the Riverside Arts Centre, Mood Indigo Events are putting on a Christmas special performance which this year features the Three Simons (Allen, Bates and Spillett) who will be playing alongside the resident Terence Collie Trio.
Festive mince pies and mulled wine will be served at the interval.
The 60s All Stars Returns to the SCC on Friday, 10th December
The next Music Night at Sunbury Cricket Club is the Christmas shindig for which the Club is very fortunate to have been able to book THE 60s ALL STARS, who have always been one of most popular attractions ever since they performed at the Club's very first Music Night more than ten years ago. It’s always great to welcome them back, as the organizer knows we can guarantee a proper rave-up as ever, with a rip-roaring evening of wall-to-wall beat era classics to kick off the Christmas festivities.
Their line-up now comprises Alan Lovell of The Swinging Blue Jeans on guitar and vocals, along with the popular guitarist and singer Robin Bibi, whose CV includes session work with the Pretty Things, Helen Shapiro, Ben E. King, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and others. The band’s new bass player is Peter Oakman– he’s an original member of Joe Brown & The Bruvvers and co-wrote their No. 1 “Picture Of You” and is now with the Swinging Blue Jeans, and on drums as always is Mick Avory, original member of The Kinks.
Friday 10th Dec. is also Save The Children’s Christmas Jumper Day, so wear your Christmas jumper and join in our raffle at £1 a ticket to win a bottle of fizz, with all proceeds being donated to the charity.
Put together a gang of friends and come along for a great party night – the Club very much looks forward to welcoming you there. Admission is £10.00 on the door, payable by cash or card.
Hot food, prepared by the expert chefs from the Club's resident caterers from the food bank charity Surplus To Supper, will be available from 7pm, and the band will be on stage about 9.00pm.
Helping residents through the winter
Spelthorne Council are committed to supporting our most vulnerable households and are providing financial assistance over the winter.
For further information, click here
Better Neighbourhood Grants - Apply to Your Local Councillor
Each year Spelthorne borough councillors are allocated a sum of money which they can use to support activities in their wards. In the last few years each councillor has been allocated £1k, but this year the amount has been increased to £2k, with the additional money having to be spent to support “Green” initiatives. What constitutes a Green initiative is not precisely defined but could be considered to cover anything that will improve the environment.
Your Lower Sunbury councillors would like to hear from you about any new or existing ideas or schemes that you feel could benefit from receiving some of this funding, particularly any that you feel might qualify as a Green initiative. Applying for the scheme is not hard - you just need to provide a short statement of what you want to do and how a grant would help you achieve your aims.
Grants are generally made to community/voluntary organisations and funds must be used to support more than one person who lives or works in the councillor’s ward. If you have a good idea but are not part of a formal group, please ask your councillors as we don’t want bureaucracy to stifle doing the right thing.
Your councillors would love to talk to you about your ideas. We all want to spend every penny wisely and in support of schemes that will benefit the community. In the last year COVID dominated the grants, with schools in particular getting support to help with remote learning. This year we want to cast the net as widely as possible and support ideas that will improve our local environment.
On behalf of the Sunbury East and Lower Sunbury and Halliford councillors
Sunbury East:
Kathy Grant: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Helen Harvey: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Ian Harvey (Mayor): This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Halliford and Sunbury West:
Sandra Dunn: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Tom Fidler: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Lawrence Nichols: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Flooding - Council Produces 7 Page Advisory Leaflet
Spelthorne Borough Council understands the many concerns of residents and businesses regarding the impact of flooding in the local area and have produced a 7 page leaflet.
For further details, click here
Council Appeals to Landlords for Help in Housing Afghan Refugees
The Council has released the following press release and we are pleased to reproduce it here:
Following a meeting of the Community Wellbeing and Housing Committee, we have pledged to resettle up to five families under the Government's Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme. The Council has been working on securing properties to fulfil the scheme and we are asking for landlords to come forward with property offers for the ARAP scheme.
The properties have to be in Spelthorne, a minimum of 3-bedrooms, close to local amenities and have good transport links.
Cllr Sandra Dunn, Chair of the Community Wellbeing and Housing Committee, says: "We are committed to our pledge to resettle five families and we will be working with various local organisations to provide support to the families for up to three years after their arrival - from help with medical needs and arranging education to setting up bank accounts and finding jobs. If you think you could help with a property in Spelthorne, please do consider signing up to the relocation scheme and help these families build a new life in our borough."
Under the scheme, the Council guarantees to pay landlords directly the full market rent for their property for up to two years.
Other benefits include the following:
- 1 month's rent paid directly in advance
- 5 weeks repair bond
- free tenancy agreements provided (including Right To Rent checks)
- property viewings arranged
- free inventory service provided by a professional company
- tenancy training given to tenants
- a completely free service - no agency fees
Ongoing support for both the landlord and the tenant is available for the duration of the tenancy.
Please contact Samantha King for further details on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 01784 446 335.
More...
Do Please Visit Our Stall at the Christmas Market on 9th December
The cancellation of last year's Christmas Market due to the Covid pandemic was a great disappointment and, with it, the missed opportunity to meet new and existing members.
We are therefore very grateful to the Lower Sunbury Business Community for bringing back the market this Christmas.
The Christmas Market will be held on Thursday 9th December from 5pm - 8pm.
As in previous years, LOSRA will have a stall manned by members of our Committee and we would be very pleased to see you there.
"No Rubbish Excuses" says Council
The following notice has been published by the Council and we reproduce it here to alert readers to the proliferation of fly-tipping cowboys who profess to be licensed waste carriers:
"We are reminding householders that you are required to take reasonable steps to check that people removing waste from your premises are authorised to do so.
"On 16 September 2021 Spelthorne Borough Council introduced a £200 fixed penalty notice for households that breach their duty of care in relation to the disposal of household waste. A prosecution could attract a £5,000 fine in the Magistrates Court and an unlimited fine in the Crown Court.
"Reasonable steps to take include:
- asking the waste carrier to provide you with their full address and telephone number
- asking to see their waste carrier licence issued by the Environment Agency
- contacting the Environment Agency directly on 0870 850 6506 and ask for a free instant Waste Carrier Validation Check, alternatively you can check online on the Environment Agency website
Remembrance Services 2021 - Sunday 14 November
The following notice has been circulated by the Council and we are pleased to reproduce it here:
Remembrance Sunday falls on 14 November in 2021 and is an opportunity for us to remember the Armed Forces, and their families, from Britain and the Commonwealth, and the vital role played by the emergency services and those that have lost their lives because of conflict or terrorism.
Whilst we are delighted to see the return of wreath laying ceremonies at each of Spelthorne’s memorials this year. In view of the pandemic, they have been scaled back with the ambition that they will return to full capacity in November 2022.
Details of each of the events is available on the website: click here
Please note that the services may be impacted by changing Coronavirus precautions. Please check the latest situation 24 hours before the day.
Poppy Appeal
It has been another particularly difficult year for service charities with fundraising significantly down on previous years. As such we are keen to support This year's Poppy Appeal which launches on Thursday 28 October.
You can pick up your poppy at the Council offices at Knowle Green, at the check-out of all major supermarkets as well as online or at branches of Lloyds Bank and Santander.
Spelthorne Council - Budget Consultation
Spelthorne Borough Council is inviting people who live and work in the Borough to give their views on the proposals for the Council's 2022/2023 budget and beyond. All participants of this consultation will be entered into a prize draw to win a year's membership at Spelthorne or Sunbury Leisure Centre.
This is an opportunity for everyone who uses the Council's services to input into this important process and give their views on where they think Spelthorne should be focusing its resources. The aim is to plan future budgets that meet the needs of the community, protect key services and maintain financial stability during these challenging times.
The consultation asks for views on Spelthorne's financial strategy, key issues and options, proposed service provision and future Council Tax levels.
Leader of the Council, Cllr Lawrence Nichols, said: "This is an important opportunity for residents and businesses to help shape our budget and priorities for future years. We want to know if you agree with our spending plans and hear your views on the best way we can support everyone in our community.
"There are huge pressures on the Council's finances, but we are committed to setting a balanced and sustainable budget which will protect the services on which residents and businesses rely."
The consultation runs from 1 November - 28 November 2021. To take part visit https://spelthorne.inconsult.
Alternatively, if you would like a printed copy of the consultation sent to you, email your postal address to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 01784 444260.
Nitrous Oxide - No Laughing Matter
Readers may remember that the Council conducted a public consultation regarding the posseession of nitrous oxide at the beginning of the year and was advertised on this site on 21st January.Ferry Still Running this Weekend!
The article below (Tuesday 19th October) incorrectly referred to the closure of our first season of the Ferry Crossing.
For the final times this year, the ferry will in fact be running on 30-31 October between 10am and 4pm.
The service will then close until Easter 2022.
Half-Term fun in Spelthorne
The October half-term week is upon us and Spelthorne Council have a number of suggested activities in which residents with younger family members may like to take part.
For further details, go to: https://www.spelthorne.gov.uk/
Season's Closing of the Ferry Service
Last Saturday brought to an end the first season of the very successful Sunbury to Walton ferry. An event was supposed to have taken place at the launching of the new ferry service back in July but as Covid restrictions made that impossible it seemed fitting to mark the end of our first season with a small celebration of the project's success.
Figures show that in the first 25 days of operation the ferry carried 6,331 passengers consisting of adults, children, bikes, pushchairs and dogs. This figure is all the more impressive when one considers that it rained on 13 of those days!
LOSRA Committee member Neil Huntingford, along with Simon Harris, directors of Sunbury Ferry Ltd, a not for profit community company, hosted the event and thanked all those who had made it possible:
- Spelthorne Borough Council, especially their River Thames Task Group,
- Surrey County Council
- Lower Sunbury Residents' Association,
- Middle Thames Yacht Club,
- Halliford School,
- Sunbury Matters,
- The Riverside Arts Centre,
- The Environment Agency,
- Sassy Apron,
- Daphne Clement who has immortalised the ferry in watercolours.
Speeches were made by Neil, Cllr. Vivienne Leighton, Chair of the River Thames Task Group, and the Mayor, Cllr. Ian Harvey. Special mention was reserved for the willing band of volunteer skippers and crew who have willingly given up their time to share their expertise and to learn new skills; and commit to running the service with professionalism, dedication and a ready smile despite the weather.
