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 2025 are now payable at £5 per household. Donations are also welcome.
Sunbury BESS Application - A Further Update
Readers will recall that we published an article in LOSRA’s 2025 New Year Newsletter concerning the late removal of the latest BESS application from the agenda of the December Planning Committee meeting, where no reason had been given at the time for this unexpected withdrawal. In an attempt to discover more, prior to the Spelthorne Partnership Assembly (SPA) meeting on 3 February, LOSRA had submitted a written question concerning the ongoing Sunbury BESS planning application as follows:
‘Why was the applicant (Sunbury BESS Limited) for planning application 24/01112/FUL (The construction of and operation of a Battery Energy Storage System…on Land To North East Of Eco Park Charlton Lane Shepperton TW17 8QA) permitted to withdraw the application from the agenda of the 10 December 2024 Planning Committee Meeting, just days beforehand (on the afternoon of Friday 7 December) and after the Planning Officer’s Report, recommending refusal, had already been published?’
The agenda and documents for the SPA meeting included the following response to our question from the Council’s Planning Development Manager:
‘The applicants advised officers that they wanted to amend the scheme by reducing the size of the development and a plan was submitted to illustrate this. The amendment was in addition to seeking to overcome the objections by the Environment Agency. Legal advice was sought on whether officers should accept this request and officers were advised this should be the course of action. The deferral was sought and agreed by the Planning Committee. The formal amended plans are awaited and once received will be uploaded onto the Council’s website.’
This response is interesting in that it not only confirms that the Environment Agency’s objections were indeed part of the reason why the application was withdrawn from December Planning Committee, but additionally that a smaller BESS development was being considered. However, to date there have been no ‘formal amended plans’ published in the application’s documents list on the Council's website, which shows the revised Agreed Expiry Date of Fri 02 May 2025 for the application. In the meantime we have submitted a further comment on the application to Spelthorne Planning, now published, in the light of January’s significant large-scale BESS fire in California. The text of LOSRA’s latest comment can be found here.
Rock and Blues Band Fire & Water to Revisit SCC on 21st February
The next Music Night is on Friday 21st February, when Sunbury Cricket Club welcomes back FIRE & WATER, a band who played one of first Music Nights 15 years ago, and who have headlined one of the Club's Beer & Music Festivals in the past.
This year the band celebrates their 25th anniversary and Paul Cox called specially to ask if they could do a celebratory show at the Cricket Club, and of course the Club was delighted to accommodate them.
Capturing the spirit and music of Free, Bad Company and Led Zeppelin, Fire & Water comprise Paul Cox, who Radio 2’s Paul Jones says has “one of the best voices in Europe” and has worked with Ray Charles, Eric Clapton and others; guitarist Mike Summerland, who was with Blodwyn Pig, Georgie Fame and William Bell; bass player Al Maclean, formerly with Kokomo and Hershey & The 12 Bars; and drummer Jim Russel, whose background includes Stretch, Scotty Moore, Curved Air, Desmond Dekker and others.
An evening of top quality rock and blues is absolutely guaranteed, and it will be a classic old school Sunbury Music Night.
It's £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 distribution organisation Surplus To Supper, will be available as usual from about 6.30pm, and the band will be on stage around 8.30-8.45.
Police Win Vote for Extra Support from Council Taxpayers
Police and Crime Commissioner Lisa Townsend said policing teams in Surrey will be properly funded to tackle those crimes important to residents after it was confirmed her proposed council tax rise will go ahead.
The Commissioner’s suggested 4.3% increase in the policing element of the council tax, known as the precept, was discussed at a meeting of the county’s Police and Crime Panel at Woodhatch Place in Reigate.
The nine members of the Panel present, made up of local councillors and one independent member, voted on the Commissioner’s proposal with four votes in favour and four votes against with one abstention. The Chair of the Panel cast the deciding vote against.
However, there were insufficient votes to veto the proposal and the Panel accepted the Commissioner’s precept will come into effect.
It should be noted that 59% of respondents to the public consultation said they would be willing to pay the £14 increase while 41% voted against it.
Weaknesses in Council Financial Records - Report
Shouldn't this report by the BBC be a matter of concern to residents? Click here for more details.
English Devolution White Paper Summary
It's much too early to make any useful predictions as to the position of Spelthorne within any proposed unitary authority but to see this helpful briefing note by the Citizens Advice Bureau, click here.
The Robin Bibi Band Makes Welcome Return to SCC on 31st January
The next Music Night at Sunbury CC comes round pretty quickly and is Friday 31st January, the Club welcomes back THE ROBIN BIBI BAND, who haven’t done a show at the club here for nearly two years, although Robin has played here a couple of times with The ‘60s All Stars.
Robin is one of the UK’s most respected blues/rock performers, and something of a legend on the club and festival circuit, as a guitarist/singer/songwriter who has played with the likes of The Pretty Things, Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and Ben E. King, and has shared the bill with B.B. King, Van Morrison and Chuck Berry. He has released a dozen critically acclaimed albums since 1997, and plays with his band all over Europe, as well as also performing as a member of The ‘60s All Stars and The Eel Pie All Stars.
He is joined for this gig by Tony Marten, formerly with George Michael, on bass, and drummer Wez Johnson, a colleague of contemporary US blues rockers Kirk Fletcher and Ariel Posen. A top class night of blues/rock in the classic tradition of Sunbury Music Nights is guaranteed.
There’s more information at https://robinbibiband.co.uk/, including links to some great videos on YouTube.
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 distribution organisation Surplus To Supper, will be available from 7pm.
More...
The Long 'Pause' on the Local Plan Examination in Public Comes to an End
Following the Extraordinary Council Meeting on 6 June 2023 a motion was agreed to pause the remainder of the Local Plan examination hearings, the Chief Executive wrote to the Planning Inspector to put forward this request on behalf of the Council.
After what seems like an eternity, the 'Pause' will be over on 28th January, some 18 months later. The hearings are open to all to observe, but only those who previously made representations relevant to the matters being considered in response to previous consultations on the plan, and who registered a request to participate, will be allowed to speak.
The program has now been published here
Of particular interest is Main Matter 9 – Green Belt, Main Matter 16 – Infrastructure & Delivery – see in particular the representation from Riverside Residents, and Main Matter 17 Allocations Years1-5 – see in particular the representation from Redrow re Kempton Park.
LOSRA Committee members will be attending on a number of the relevant dates.
Nashville Teens Come to the SCC on 10th January
The first Music Night of the New Year at Sunbury Cricket Club comes round very quickly, and falls on Friday 10th January, when the Club welcomes back THE NASHVILLE TEENS in their traditional January slot to blow away the January blues.
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. 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 their established 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, plus 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.
Hot food, prepared by resident caterers Surplus To Supper, will be available as usual from about 6.30pm, with the band on stage around 8.30 pm or soon after, so the Club hopes you can make it down to get this year’s Music Nights off to a cracking start and looks forward to seeing you next week. In the meantime, may we wish you all the best for 2025 – we 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.
Our 2025 New Year Newsletter May Be Read Here
The Chairman and Committee extend best wishes to all our readers for a merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
To keep abreast of all that is going on, you will find the print copy of our New Year Newsletter circulated with the next edition of Sunbury Matters and may be viewed by clicking here
Public hearing dates announced for Local Plan examination
The Council has announced the long-awaited resumption of the Local Plan examination:
Hearings for the Local Plan were originally held in May 2023 before an Extraordinary meeting of the Council in June 2023 resolved to ask the Inspector to pause the Examination Hearings, a request which was agreed by Independent Inspector, Jameson Bridgwater PGDipTP MRTPI. A further pause was also granted following a second request from the Council in September 2023.
In July 2024, Chair of the Environment and Sustainability Committee, Cllr Malcolm Beecher, wrote to the Planning Inspector requesting resumption of the Local Plan examination, and in October the Environment Agency and the Council signed a Statement of Common Ground.
The hearings will be held in person at Spelthorne Council's offices with arrangements in place for virtual participation where required. Those who made representations will have the opportunity to appear at the hearings and speak directly to the Inspector.
The dates for the hearings are as follows, starting at 10am each day:
- Monday 27 January 2025 - Friday 31 January 2025
- Monday 10 February 2025 - Friday 14 February 2025
- Monday 17 February 2025 - Friday 21 February 2025
The sessions will be held at the Council Offices, Knowle Green, Staines-upon-Thames TW18 1XB. Details regarding participation and specific discussion topics for each date will be confirmed closer to the opening of the hearings. Arrangements will be made for people to observe the hearing sessions in person.
Visit www.spelthornelocalplan.info/ for full details and to check any changes or updates to the programme. All relevant documents will also be available here.
Tommaso Starace Joins the Terence Collie Trio at the Riverside Arts Centre on Sunday 15th December
Tommaso Starace – Alto and Tenor – stunning saxophonist – think bebop – very much in the style of Cannonball Adderley – with a bleusy swagger – and lots of Passion!
Tommaso has played at all of the top Clubs and Festivals including London Jazz Festival, Brecon Jazz Festival, Pizza Express Soho, Blue Note Milano, Oxford Jazz Festival etc.
He swings magnificently, playing alto and soprano saxophone with impressive post Parker felicity and Italian flair. He has performed with some of the most respected jazz musicians including Billy Cobham, David Liebman, Kenny Wheeler, Stan Sulzmann, Jim Mullen, Jonathan Gee, Paolo Pellegatti, Gianni Giudici.
Grass Verge Cutting Contract Coming Back to Spelthorne
In 2023 Surrey County Council assumed responsibility for verge maintenance from all the borough and district councils, ending the agreement which had been in place since 2008. However, throughout this transition many residents voiced frustration with the decline in service levels and quality of cut which was leaving many areas looking untidy.
After determined lobbying by our Council, the responsibility for verge maintenance will be returned to Spelthorne, where it rightly belongs!
Christmas party season at the Scc with the Liverpool Echoes on 6th December
Sunbury Cricket Club's last Music Night of 2024 is on Friday 6th December, when the Club returns to its traditional tried and tested party formula to kick off the Christmas party season as they once again feature THE LIVERPOOL ECHOES. They are led by Yanni Tsamplakos, who is a great supporter of our Music Nights and has appeared at many of the Christmas party shows with his band The Mersey Legends, and the Club is delighted to welcome him back once more with his new line-up, with whom he appeared for the first time last year.
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.
Hot food, prepared by our resident caterers Surplus To Supper, will be available as usual from about 6.30pm, with the band on stage around 8.30 pm or soon after, so we hope you can make it. We look forward to seeing you there – get there early if you want to grab a table for your group, as it will be busy.
Admission is £10.00 on the door, payable by cash or card.
Christmas starts in Sunbury on 5th December with traditional festive market
As in previous years, the Christmas Market, organised by volunteers from the Lower Sunbury Business Community, will run from 5 - 8pm.
LoSRA will, as usual, have a stall staffed by our Committee members.
Do pay a visit!
