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.
Walton Bridge to Go Ahead
Following the last election and the uncertainty of publicly funded projects, it is now confirmed that the £32m Thames Road Bridge at Walton has been approved.
The permanent arch road bridge will be the first new road crossing over The Thames in 20 years. The structure, which will replace the two "temporary" bridges connecting Walton and Shepperton, is due to be completed by the summer of 2013.
The Department of Transport will invest £23.8m with the remainder coming from Surrey County Council. The Authority expects work to start in January.
Planning Committee Objects to Permanent Allocation of 'Eco Park' Site
A Special Planning Committee was convened on Wednesday night to consider the application by Surrey County Council for the permanent allocation of the Charlton Lane Green Belt site as a permanent waste management facility. (See entry for 20th December).
The hearing was well attended and two residents spoke against the application.
As statutory consultees, the Committee, on a proposal tabled by the Vice Chairman, accepted an amended recommendation than that originally proposed by the planning officer. Rather than raising no objection, the amended version included the following recommendation:
1.1 Surrey County Council be informed that this Council OBJECTS to the proposal for the following reason:
1.2 There is a lack of clarity in the purpose of the application to retain the existing facilities in their entirety beyond the life of the current temporary planning permission in 2016. This means that the required case for very special circumstances to allow inappropriate development on the Green belt has not been sufficiently demonstrated on a permanent basis. It is considered that there is some justification for allowing a further extension of the temporary permission and a period of 9 years, up to 2025 is deemed reasonable.
Given that the final word will rest with Surrey County Council, the full implications of this recommendation will not become clear until SCC have considered the matter. The full wording of the recommendation which also outlines other material concerns may be viewed on the Council Website in due course.
To Make Way for 'Eco Park', Planning Committee Set to Make Permanent the Temporary Green Belt Waste Facility
Further to our announcements in the recent newsletter and previous articles on this Site (see 6th & 15th December), a Special Planning Committee is to be held this Wednesday at the Council Chamber to consider a proposal for the permanent retention of the existing waste management facilities at Charlton Lane with a modification to the existing site access arrangements and erection of an acoustic fence. The success of this application will be a precursor to the application for the installation of the 'Eco Park' if the opposition of local residents is to count for nothing.
In the event of Planning Committee approval, the application to retain waste facilities will then be determined by Surrey County Council at its Planning and Regulatory Committee on 12th January 2011. On the same date the Planning Committee at Spelthorne, as statutory consultees, will consider the application for the installation of the 'Eco Park'.
The timing of the Special Planning Committee could not come at a more inconvenient time for local residents who will be preoccupied with family affairs and festive preparations. Nevertheless all residents who find themselves able to take a couple of hours from their busy days, are urged to attend.
Slip Sliding Away
Readers may remember the response of the Highways Authority to the freezing conditions last year. It seemed that those roads not included in Priority Route 1 were not treated due to the lack (and therefore rationing) of salt.
Despite there being no such shortage this year, it appears that Manor Lane, an important thoroughfare but not included in PR 1, now resembles an ice rink and a number of accidents have already occurred along this stretch of road.
For what it's worth, the situation is being reported to the County Council but for up-to-date bulletins please visit Highways Information Online.
Gasification at 'Eco Park' IS Incineration - True!
At the recent Have Your Say event at Salesian School in Chertsey,The Leader of Surrey County Council, Dr Andrew Povey said that he did not support the use of incinerators in the County. A LOSRA member having researched the term 'gasification' has concluded the following in this edited article:
"This needs drilling into everyone's consciences like times tables. Talking about gasification at this ['Eco Plant'] is obfuscation, deliberately telling only half the story.
"As an input/output device it is an incinerator that happens to generate a little bit of electricity allowing SITA to sell it in order to offset costs. It's an equivocal and misleading claim.
Misleading Article on Public Footpath 'Outrage'
In our Autumn newsletter, and on our Website, we published an article on the disappearance of a 'public footpath' sign and the erection of a gate between nos. 32 - 34 Thames Street. It seems that we were a bit hasty in drawing any conclusions about these developments and we must apologise for that. The sign was in fact removed by Surrey County Council in November 2005 and a gate licence was issued at the same time. Spelthorne Borough Council had also given permission for the gate.
These steps were considered necessary as a deterrent security measure to protect properties on the River. They are not intended to deter bona fide users of the footpath who may still gain access by the simple expedient of pushing the gate open and closing it after themselves and, if accompanied by a dog, keeping it on a lead.
More...
Surrey's Most Wanted - Crimestoppers Asks for Your Help
Our local Police Inspector has written to the Chairman of LOSRA asking our membership to help track down Surrey's most wanted criminals. Her email is self-explanatory and the link should carry details within the next few days.
Can you help trace Surrey’s ‘Most Wanted’?
The top 15 most wanted people in Surrey are being warned to look over their shoulders as a new website aimed at helping track down serious offenders in the region is launched today.
The public can now view the county’s ‘Most Wanted’ online and help police locate those who may have gone to ground and bring them to justice.
The Rogues Gallery include those sought in connection with offences such as attempted murder, serious assault, drug importation, ATM fraud and burglary.
Surrey Police has teamed up with independent charity Crimestoppers which will feature them on its website, allowing the public to look at pictures and E-fits and view CCTV footage of people currently wanted across the county.
They can be viewed by visiting http://crimestoppers-uk.org/surrey and clicking on Most Wanted. Crimestoppers allows people to give information about crime anonymously by telephone or via the Crimestoppers website.
Lower Sunbury Safer Neighbourhood Team
P.C. Caroline Barnes, Lower Sunbury Safer Neighbourhood Team Sends her report for the Month of November.
Advertising Standards Authority to Investigate 'Eco Park' Claims
LOSRA has always held the view that the term Eco Park is a deceptively 'greenwash' term cynically designed to hoodwink the local community as to the true intent of what is in fact a very large industrial waste processing plant with a huge chimney stack to disperse greenhouse gases and other pollutants throughout the Borough.
The Advertising Standards Authority have addressed a complaint from a Shepperton resident concerning two newsletters from the Surrey County Council waste contractors, SITA; and have passed it to their investigations department who will deal with it by applying their formal investigations procedure.
In short, this means they are deeming the complaints valid and will now ask SITA UK to comment on the each of the points made. The ASA investigations team will draft a recommendation, which should then be passed to the resident for comment. It will subsequently be referred to ASA Council for adjudication. Once the Council have made a decision the adjudication will be published on their website.
Due to the complexity of the investigation they have warned it is likely to take a long time to complete as SITA UK would (probably) wish to substantiate the claims being challenged, and it is expected they will send a large amount of complicated information to the ASA. Should this happen, the ASA would consult an independent expert.
The following is a summary of the complaints made by the resident against SITA:
The Third Avenue Neighbourhood Watch Picture Competition
The Avenue Neighbourhood Autumn Picture Competition resulted in an impressive thirty entries from competitors aged of 4 and upwards. This is the third competition held by The Avenue NHW and again the standard of picture submitted is extremely high and the judges had great difficulty in selecting a winner in each of the five categories. The three judges were especially impressed by the amount of talent and interest in just one road in Sunbury-on-Thames.
The theme was ‘Memories of Summer’ and the pictures are on display in the Embroidery Gallery Café until Sunday 19 December.
Lower Sunbury Business Community Christmas Market Called Off
Chairman of the Lower Sunbury Business Community has forwarded the following email for publication on the LOSRA Website:
"It is with sadness that we have to announce the Annual LOSBC Christmas Market will not be held this year on Tuesday 14th December as planned.
There has not been enough interest from stall holders to exhibit at this years event."
This years market was due to take place on the same day as the popular 'Carols on the Meadow' event which attracts a regular following of local residents to the village.
Dennis van Wonderen, chairman of the LOSBC commented: 'It's very sad that this years market has had to be cancelled.
The difficult economic trading conditions are certainly a contributing factor towards the cancellation as there was insufficient interest from traders to exhibit.
The LOSBC is continuously striving to attract shoppers to the village and encourage residents to shop locally. Without the customers, the village wouldn't have
any shops! The event would have celebrated it's third year and a lot of the residents were looking forward to the festive gathering to kick off the Christmas celebrations.
Whilst this is a small setback, we will keep chipping away at different opportunities to keep the village shops alive!'
Youthful Production 8th - 11th December
The Riverside Youth Theatre will stage a performance of Momo, based on the fantasy novel by Michael Ende.
The production will run from Wednesday 8th December to Saturday 11th December at the Riverside Arts Centre, Thames Street.
No details of tickets or pricing but admission on the night should be possible.
LOSRA Autumn Newsletter Online
The Autumn newsletter is currently with the printers and should be available for distribution to all 3,800 households in Lower Sunbury from the weekend of 4th/5th December. Its publication was again delayed this year whilst we awaited details of the London Irish appeals. The newsletter may be viewed by clicking here.
