Welcome to the LOSRA Website
Like any local community, the policies and decisions shaping the character and future of Lower Sunbury are influenced by a combination of local and national government initiatives, alongside market forces and vested interests operating within these frameworks. As with many areas, Lower Sunbury faces challenges stemming from an aging infrastructure, rapid urban development, increasing traffic congestion, and other pressures that impact both quality of life and the distinctive character of the neighbourhood.
In collaboration with local authorities, other residents’ associations and amenity groups, LOSRA plays a vital role in addressing fundamental issues that affect its members' lives. This organisation not only engages with broader strategic concerns but also focuses on the everyday matters that shape community well-being.
To stay informed, we encourage you to subscribe to our regular e-bulletins via the link at the top left of this page. Your continued support is essential to our efforts, and we urge you to join or renew your membership. Subscriptions for 2026 are now payable at £5 per household. Donations are also welcome.
There is a range of compost bins available all with a third off the normal price
Surrey residents can now buy a range of reduced-price compost bins, hot composters, food waste digesters and other composting products courtesy of a subsidy provided by the Surrey Environment Partnership.
There are a range of compost bins available all with a third off the normal price. You can use them to compost all your garden waste, and even some food waste such as vegetable peelings, eggshells and coffee grounds. If you would like a product that can take all your food and garden waste, then you can buy the Green Johanna hot composter for just £74.99 (reduced from £129.99).
As well as making a saving yourself, you will be helping your local council save money. When residents compost their food and garden waste at home, money that would usually be spent running that service can be spent on other essential services across Surrey. Composting is also the most environmentally friendly method of disposing of your food and garden waste, helping you to do your bit for the planet.
To buy a discounted compost bin, visit the compost bin sale section of the SEP website now.
Panto Season is Here! Cinderella at the RAC 19th - 22nd January
Happy New Year! Nashville Teens at the Sunbury Cricket Club on 6th January
The first Music Night of the New Year at Sunbury CC is on Friday 6th January, when the Club welcomes back THE NASHVILLE TEENS in their traditional January slot to blow away the January blues – this gig is actually a week or two earlier than might have been chosen, but the band have dates booked in at holiday camps on subsequent weekends.
THE NASHVILLE TEENS are one of the great names from the ‘60s who had two memorable Top Ten hits in 1964 with “Tobacco Road” and “Google Eye”, and have played storming gigs for the Club over many years, so we’re delighted to have them back again. The line-up features their original lead singer Ray Phillips, who has had an unbroken half-century career with the band, as well as making solo records and performing with other line-ups like the British Invasion All-Stars with members of The Yardbirds, Creation and Downliners Sect. With him in the current Nashville Teens is a line-up of seasoned performers, including on bass Colin Pattenden, member of Manfred Mann’s Earth Band when they had their big hits back in the 70s with Simon Spratley of The Ian Campbell Blues Band on keyboards, Ken Osborn from Levee Camp Moan on guitar and Adrian ‘Spud’ Metcalf on drums. It will be another night of classic ‘60s R&B, featuring in Ray one of the great voices of the beat era. There’s more information at www.Nashville-Teens.com.
Food will be available as usual, so we hope you can make it down to get this year’s Music Nights off to a cracking start. In the meantime, the Club wishes you all the best for 2023 and will try to make sure there’s some fine entertainment at the Cricket Club during the year.
Admission is £10.00 on the door, payable by cash or card. Hot food, prepared by the expert chefs from our resident caterers from the community food redistribution organisation Surplus To Supper, will be available from 7pm.
Karen Sharp on Saxophone Joins Terence Collie Trio on 8th January at the RAC
A prominent figure on the UK Jazz scene since 2000, Karen is well known and admired for her melodic, full-toned saxophone playing, winning the British Jazz Awards for best tenor saxophonist on numerous occasions and appearing as a nominee in the rising star category of the Downbeat Critics Poll for baritone sax in 2018 and 2019.
Karen joins the Terence Collie Trio at the Riverside Arts Centre, Thames Street on Sunday 8th January.
For further details, click here
Planning inspector appointed to examine Spelthorne’s new Local Plan
The following Council press release will be of interest to those who have been following the years long development of the Local Plan for Spelthorne:
An independent inspector has now been appointed to examine the Spelthorne Local Plan, following submission to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 25 November 2022. The Plan will guide future development in the Borough over the next 15 years.
This is another positive step forward to progress the Local Plan through to adoption. It has taken over six years to reach this stage and having an out-of-date Local Plan and without a five-year supply of housing has counted against Spelthorne at appeal on developments the Council has refused. There are also other significant benefits the Local Plan will deliver, including family homes with gardens, affordable housing, local infrastructure, sports and recreation enhancements, a new sixth form college and greater protection for our urban open spaces.
The appointed inspector, Jameson Bridgwater DipTP MRTPI, will now contact Spelthorne through the Programme Officer to make arrangements for the examination. The Programme Officer provides the channel of communication between the inspector, the Council and those involved in the examination as the inspector can’t be spoken to directly in order to maintain impartiality.
It was announced recently by the Secretary of State, Michael Gove MP, that changes to national planning policy and guidance are expected to be announced before Christmas for consultation. The changes could have implications for Spelthorne’s Local Plan in terms of the number of homes that should be planned for and where development takes place, such as through releasing Green Belt and intensifying use of urban sites. Once the detail has been considered, there will be a Local Plan Task Group meeting followed by an Extraordinary Environment and Sustainability Committee meeting on 31 January 2023 to review the changes and what they mean for the Local Plan, plus options for how the Council can choose to proceed with the examination and respond to any updated Government policies.
However, just last Thursday the Housing Minister allowed a development of 970 houses on Green Belt in York. This scheme represents more than all the proposed Green Belt development for Spelthorne in its Submission Version of the Local Plan.
Cllr Ian Beardsmore, Chair of the Environment and Sustainability Committee, said: “We are pleased to have been appointed our inspector and can progress the Local Plan through to examination but the very mixed messages about changes to the planning system are seemingly contradictory. We are waiting for the detail before making any decisions and will be looking at all the options available to us. We know that our residents want a Local Plan adopted without further delay. However, if there are updates to policy that do offer us opportunities to make positive changes to our Plan, we still have that option.”
The Liverpool Echoes to Appear at SCC on 9th December
For Sunbury Cricket Club's last Music Night of 2022 on Friday 9th December, the Club returns to its traditional tried and tested party formula as it welcomes THE LIVERPOOL ECHOES. They are a new name to the Club, but they are led by Yanni Tsamplakos, who is a great supporter of the Club's Music Nights and has appeared at many Christmas party shows with his band The Mersey Legends; and we are delighted to have him back with his new line-up.
As always, they will give us a rip-roaring evening, performing a non-stop selection of wall-to-wall beat era classics, with Yanni on guitar and vocals, Billy Allan on guitar, John Joce on bass and Rick Daniow on drums. We can guarantee that it will be a great party night to kick off the festive season in style, so get a gang of friends together and come along for a proper rave-up.
There’s more info at www.liverpoolechoes.co.uk.
It's £10.00 on the door payable by cash or cards. Hot food will be available as usual from about 7pm.
More...
Spelthorne Borough Council Submits Local Plan to Secretary of State
At long last, after what has been many testing months for its officers, the Council makes the following announcement:
"On Friday 25 November, Spelthorne Council submitted its draft Local Plan to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Homes and Communities for independent inspection. The Plan will guide future development in the Borough over the next 15 years, including affordable homes for residents, local infrastructure, a new sixth form college and offer greater protection for our urban open spaces. The Plan positively tackles the impact of climate change in our borough and ensures important biodiversity is protected.
"It has taken more than five years to reach this key milestone. During that time, three public consultations totalling 32 weeks were undertaken on the Local Plan, together with further public consultations on the Staines Development Framework.
"Submitting the Plan for examination is a crucial step forward and an independent planning inspector will now be appointed by the Planning Inspectorate to consider whether it is ‘sound’ and can be adopted. This means the strategy and policies will be scrutinised in detail to make sure they are justified and effective and comply with statutory requirements. The land allocated as development sites will also be considered by the inspector.
"There will be a series of public hearings held in 2023 where the inspector will listen to all the arguments for and against various aspects of the Plan. The inspector will then advise Spelthorne if the Plan is sound, likely with some changes that will require further public consultation, before the Plan is brought back for a decision by councillors on whether the Council should adopt it. If so, the Local Plan can then be used when deciding planning applications.
"There is a new website dedicated to the examination process where residents can view the Local Plan and the supporting evidence and documents required for submission https://spelthornelocalplan.info . It will be updated in due course to contain further documents needed to stay informed, including officer responses to representations made during consultation, any letters received from the planning inspector, information about what stage is reached and the dates and documents for each hearing session, including links to the Planning Inspectorate videos explaining the examination process.
"The hearings will be open to the public and live-streamed online. The inspector will be appointed within the next three weeks and the Council will then provide further details on the hearings, which are likely to take place in spring 2023. The inspector will be notified of those who requested to appear at the hearings when representations were made during the consultation process."
Christmas Market, 8th December at The Avenue Parade
Thanks to the Lower Sunbury Business Community, residents will be celebrating Christmas with a special event from 5pm - 8pm on The Avenue Parade.
Come along with the family and enjoy the festive lights, gift stalls, rides, Santa's grotto, and carol singing with the Salvation Army from 6.30pm.
The road will be closed to traffic during the event. The money raised will be used for the Sunbury community.
As in previous years, LOSRA will have a stall at the market so do feel free to pay us a visit!
For more details email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 07979 808991
Avian Flu Precautions
There have been a number of incidents of dead swans and the Council is working with the relevant authorities to ensure these are humanely removed from the area.
As a precaution it is recommended that people keep dogs on leads on the river towpaths and stay on the paths. People should also not touch or try to rescue sick birds.
Stuart Henderson & Vasilis Xenopoulos with Terrence Collie Trio at the RAC on 18th December the RAC
Trumpeter Stuart Henderson and saxophonist Vasilis Xenopoulos team up with the Terence Collie Trio at the Riverside Arts Centre on 18th December at 8pm.
For further details, click here
Warm Hubs Launched Across Surrey
A network of Warm Hubs has been set up across Surrey to provide support to residents in these challenging times. The Warm Hubs are community spaces across the county where people can drop in, get warm, have a hot drink and be in the company of other people. There will also be people on hand to give free energy advice. It's open to all.
Surrey County Council, district, borough; and town and parish councils have been working togehter with Surrey's faith and community groups to open up this network of Warm Hubs established to support residents who will be affected by the cost-of-living and energy crisis.
For further details, click here
If you're interested in creating a Warm Hub yourself you can contact Surrey CC at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Lower Sunbury Winners at Spelthorne Business Awards
Particular congratulations must go to the Sunbury Ferry which stood out by winning the Sustainable Business of the Year, the Corporate Social Responsibility Award and scooping up, as overall winner, the Best Business in Spelthorne.
As an Association, and having given practical support to the Ferry since its inception, we are especially pleased with the Borough-wide recognition given to this enterprise which has brought so much pleasure to communities on both sides of the River.
Great credit must also go to the Sassy Apron bakery in Thames Street for winning the New Start up of the Year.
Riverside Youth Theatre Announces:
"Did you know that Sunbury has its own Youth Theatre Group, based at the Riverside Arts Centre and that it has been providing wonderful performance opportunities and productions for decades starring local young people aged between 12-18 years? Many have gone on to become professionals and are working in the industry today.
If you would like to see what we are all about, why not come and see our hilarious latest show CLUE based on the board game Cluedo, a WHODUNNIT, full of laughs and surprises and starring our local young people. Come and join the fun, you will be sure of a warm welcome."
Jason Rebello in Conversation and Live Performance, Tuesday 29th November at the RAC
Celebrated British jazz pianist Jason Rebello was labelled a veteran by critics at 19 and over the next decade won most of the major jazz music awards.
“At 21, he’s probably the most gifted and fluent pianist to emerge in Britain since Django Bates”
Neville Hadsley, Jazz FM 1990
Classically trained but inspired by Herbie Hancock, he came to the attention of one of the founders of jazz fusion, Weather Report’s saxophonist Wayne Shorter. Impressed by his musical fluency and style, Shorter produced his No 1 debut album A Clearer View October 1990 Novus PD 90527.
“…..A Clearer View describes graceful crossover holding patterns, seeking not to challenge but to entertain. Rebello has created a series of compositions where he knows his musicians will be comfortable and can easily express themselves. It’s their shared values of craftsmanship that make this album work”
WIRE magazine 1990
By 1992 Jason’s musical talent and endearing personality enabled him to feature in a wide range of media projects including Artrageous BBC 2 which Janet Street-Porter invited him to present. Popular and confident, Jason chose to produce his second album Keeping Time. He invited a wealth of his musical friends to feature including soul diva Jocelyn Brown and Marianne Jean-Baptiste.
