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.
Parking Chaos at London Irish Amateur Mini Tournament on 29th September
A mini rugby tournament held at the London Irish Hazelwood centre on 29th September gave rise to a number of complaints from local residents due to the inconsiderate parking of vehicles in nearby streets. It must first be said that this Association was not given advance warning and were therefore unable to alert local neighbours prior to the event.
It seems that Dorking Rugby Club relocated their tournament to Hazelwood at the last minute due to their own water-logged pitches. (London Irish Amateur RFU, in contrast, have spent vast sums on improving their drainage}.
L.Irish realised that parking would be an issue and emailed a map to Dorking showing local car parks and insisted that they provide extra parking attendants. The Club complied but with only sufficient for Hazelwood Drive and not the nearby roads.
A number of complaints were made to London Irish on the day with one neighbour insisting that an official from the Club come and see the resultant parking chaos. On seeing the problem the official could not disagree.
The official spoke with the amateur club after the event and suggested the following for future events:
- 100-150 extra cones
- Create a small flyer that effectively tells our residents: ‘We have an event tomorrow and there is likely to be congestion. To resolve this we are putting cones along your road to prevent people parking and inconveniencing you, obviously feel free to move the cone as needed for your movement. We will remove all cones once the event is over.’
- Put the cones out the day before and put flyers in the letterbox at the same time.
- Roads we would need to cone off are:
- Hazelwood Drive - we already have cones
- Croysdale Avenue - either side of Hazelwood drive
- Hawkewood Road - prior to the houses starting
- Vereker Drive - first part
A further suggestion was to approach St Pauls school to see if the Club could hire their car park on busy event days – the official will chase this up.
London Irish apologises for the inconvenience caused to residents.
Patients' Participation Group - Open Meeting at Sunbury Health Centre, Tuesday 15th October, 6.30pm
One of the doctors and other Practice staff will give an overview of the many positive developments taking place as well as highlighting the challenges faced by the Practice in our ever expanding community.
There will also be an opportunity for general comments, suggestions and questions from patients. Please note that this is NOT an opportunity to discuss individual cases or issues, these should be passed to the Practice in the normal way.
Celebrating Modern Jazz Trumpet Greats with the Graeme Flowers Quartet at the RAC, 6th October
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Graeme Flowers graduated from the London College of Music in 2000. The list of artists in which he has collaborated, recorded or with whom he has toured is enviable: The James Taylor Quartet, The Brand New Heavies, Lisa Stansfield, Workshy, Dina Carroll, Kyle Eastwood, Quincy Jones, Shakira, Moloko, Duran Duran, James Morrison, Joey Negro, Brenda Russell, Just Jack, Hard-Fi, Jamie Cullum, Craig David, Tony Hadley, ABC, Go West, Charlotte Church, Lemar, Michael Bublé, Will Young, King Salsa, Rhian Benson, Lulu, Emma Bunton, Jools Holland, Cathy Dennis, Melanie C, Kelly Clarkson, Midge Ure, Jamelia, Mica Paris, Ronan Keating, The BBC Big Band, Cubana Bop, Manu Katché, Dominic Miller, Snowboy and Matt Bianco.
In addition, Graeme is a member of the Funk/Soul band Down To The Bone, Latin/Funk/Soul band Saravah Soul, Funk band Most Wanted, the freelance horn section The London Horns and the musical project Motimba.
Venue, date & time: The Riverside Arts Centre, Thames Street Sunbury on Sunday 6th October at 7.45pm.
To view poster with full details of times, venue and booking details, click here
Top British Blues Stars, Dave Kelly and Maggie Bell Playing at SCC on Friday 4th October
On Friday 4th October Sunbury Cricket Club Music Nights welcomes two members of British blues and rock royalty, both major figures of the British and international R&B scene, two great voices and two great reputations, for a wonderful evening of acoustic blues, soul and good times, and no doubt a little humour, as part of a high profile UK tour.
MAGGIE BELL – Scotland’s Queen of Soul, founder member of Stone the Crows, later had a successful solo career on both sides of the Atlantic, now once again back on the music scene after a 20 year lay-off. She was a resounding hit at the Led Zeppelin reunion concert in 2008.
DAVE KELLY is by now a familiar face at Sunbury Music Club with his own band – he is London’s slide guitar king, having learned his trade in the backing bands of, and recording with, Son House, Howlin’ Wolf, John Lee Hooker, Buddy Guy and Junior Wells to name but five blues legends, and a founder member of The Blues Band.
It is rare for the village to be able to stage a show of this calibre and it’s an opportunity for local music fans to enjoy top quality entertainment on our doorstep.
Tickets are £12.50 on sale on-line in advance at ticketsource.co.
Planning Application for Erection of 5 Storey Block at Benwell House, Green Street
A planning application has been submitted for the erection of a 5 storey residential block to provide 36 units with a mix of 10 x 1 bed, 23 x 2 bed and 3 x 3 bed units and a ground floor for community use, together with associated parking, landscaping and access.
Residents are invited to submit their comments by the closing date of 1st October (Ref: 19/1211/FUL).
An evening of the music of Herbie Hancock with Phil Meadows on Sunday 15th September at the RAC
Phil graduated in 2012 with an MMus in Jazz performance and is fast emerging as one of the UK’s most creative young musicians.
His debut album Engines of Creation was released in 2013 featuring fellow alumni Laura Jurd (trumpet), Elliot Galvin (piano) and Conor Chaplin (bass) as well as top UK drummer Simon Roth.
The group received the 2013 Peter Whittingham Jazz Award and 2014 Parliamentary Jazz Newcomer of the Year. He then founded the Engines Orchestra (eO) with whom the Phil Meadows Group released their second album, Lifecycles.
eO have featured on BBC Radio 2’s Jamie Cullum Show, JazzFM and Radio 3’s Jazz on 3 and received the 2015 Parliamentary Jazz Ensemble of the Year Award.
Phil won the Jazz Rising Star Award in the London Music Awards 2015. Whist at Trinity Laban, Phil held the lead alto chair with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra and he is now part of their team of musical directors running weekly NYJO London ensemble.
Phil will be accompanied by The Terence Collie trio.
To view poster with full details of times, venue and booking details, click here
More...
Sunbury Cricket Club to Host Beer, Gin & Music Festival on Saturday, 14th September
The Cricket Club has forwarded the following notice which we are pleased to reproduce here:
The next music event at Sunbury Cricket Club is a big one - it’s this year’s BEER, GIN & MUSIC FESTIVAL on Saturday 14th September from 12 noon until midnight. Your ticket covers the whole day, and you can enjoy real ales, craft lagers, prosecco and a range of gins, with hot food available.
As usual, we have a stunning line-up of bands right through the day at this year’s Festival, with all the bands doing full shows of two 45-minute sets. They are:
2pm ANDY ROBERTS’ BLUES PATROL
Top class contemporary blues and soul from a band who are always busy on the circuit and are regulars at venues like the Bull’s Head at Barnes. Led by the outstanding vocalist, Andy Roberts, (ex-Atlantic Soul Machine & Storm Warning) the line-up comprises guitarist Tony Pow, (Stray, Harry Cane & The Moneymakers, JP and The Wiseguys), keyboard and Hammond wizard Richard Simmons, bassist Tex Comer, (Frankie Miller, Los Pacaminos) and drummer Ed Spevock, (Babe Ruth, Chicken Shack), plus Christina Al-Wakil on flugelhorn, trumpet and backing vocals. They play a mixture of original material and their own interpretation of tunes by the likes of Curtis Mayfield, Joe Louis Walker and Gamble & Huff.
5.30pm THE MUSTANGS
The Mustangs are one of the staples on the bills of blues festivals around the country and have been a popular attraction at the club over the years, including appearing at our inaugural Beer Festival two years ago. The band comprises Dynamic front man Adam Norsworthy on guitar and vocals, Derek Kingaby on harmonica, Ben McKeown on bass, and Jon Bartley on drums – Jon also has another role in life as joint leader of The Green Party. Playing mainly blues-inspired original material, they now have a catalogue of a dozen albums and remain one of busiest and most popular bands on the blues rock scene.
9pm THE PAUL COX BAND
The great rock, soul, and blues singer and all-round rock showman Paul Cox has appeared at the club many times over the years in several guises, with his band The Proof, with his We Remember Joe Cocker show and with the French bluesman Charlie Fabert, as well as headlining our first Beer Festival with Fire & Water. He is back this year with his definitive line-up comprising Mike Summerland on guitar, Nigel Hardy on bass, Dave ‘Munch’ Moore on keyboards and Pete Stroud on drums, all with along history in name bands. It will be a fine up-front rocking climax to the day.
Tickets are available at £12 until 13th Sept. from the Club bar or online at www.ticketsource.co.uk/sunburysports or £15 on the day. If you would like to sponsor a barrel of beer, which gets you some extra entry tickets, there are details of who to contact on the official flier.
Previous years have been hugely successful and enjoyable events and this one promises to be another fantastic day. We look forward to seeing you there.
All Welcome to St. Mary's Heritage Open Day on 21st September
The Friends of St Mary's are opening the Church for a 'Heritage Open Day' on the 21st September (10-4.00pm).
The Sunbury & Shepperton Local History Society will be bringing their display of archival material and will be on-hand to listen to your stories, look at your photographs and answer your queries.
Plus there will be records from the Church archives including added details about the names on the war memorial boards and other memorials inside and outside the Church. The latter have recently been re-recorded by the West Middx. Family History Society and will be shared to the ‘Find my Past’ web site in the near future.
There are tours of the bell tower, a chance to learn about bell ringing and perhaps to have a go! (N.B. the last tour will be at 3.15pm to give you a chance to get down the tower before the doors close !)
Tea/coffee and/or ice cream to refresh ! Come and browse our Grade II* listed building at leisure!
Public Space Protection Order for Moorings - Consultation
The following email has been received by LOSRA and we are pleased to reproduce it here:
Spelthorne Council is consulting from 1 August until 30 September on new powers to prevent unauthorised mooring. The proposal is to introduce a Public Space Protection Order for Moorings along the River Thames in Spelthorne.
A report to Cabinet in July 2019 (link below) identified the unreasonable and persistent nature of some mooring, without consent, which is having a detrimental effect on people living in the locality. Elmbridge and Runnymede Borough Councils are also consulting on a similar plan with a view to making a consistent Order for the River Thames in all three boroughs.
Cllr Richard Barratt, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Compliance, said:
“With increased enforcement in Kingston and Richmond displacing boats into Surrey, the problem has grown, resulting in an increase in the number of complaints received in all three Surrey boroughs. Further displacement is anticipated in future years, as mooring areas and marinas within London are developed, which is why we need to act. The Thames is a great asset to us and we are determined to protect and enhance it for the benefit of residents of Spelthorne.”
Mooring enforcement in Spelthorne is carried out by the Joint Enforcement Team (JET) in Neighbourhood Services. The team has reported an increase in boats overstaying at moorings provided at its parks and open spaces, in particular those at Lady Lynsey’s Lawn, Kings Lawn and Shepperton Lock. They have also noticed an increase in boats mooring in non-designated sites particularly along Thameside, Laleham and Flowerpot Green Sunbury. Both these sites are owned and managed by the Council.
In 2018, the team completed 58 periods of mooring enforcement and issued a total of 54 overstaying warning letters. In addition, they dealt with two boats at Staines Bridge by way of a Community Protection Warning Letter and subsequently a Community Protection Notice (CPN) due to anti-social behaviour comprising of fly-tipping, littering and using a chemical toilet in full view of the passing public. One of the boats moved after the warning letter, the second upon the issue of the CPN.
The team has also issued notices to six boats under the Refuse Amenity Act 1978 to abandoned or suspected abandoned vessels on Council run sites and this culminated in one vessel being removed and disposed of at expense to the Council. Other than moorings, the team receive weekly complaints from residents, park users and the Council Grounds Maintenance teams about the amount of rubbish being left at the mooring sites.
Cllr Vivienne Leighton, Chairman of the River Thames Task Group, said:
“Engaging with local riverside authorities is a key aspect of the Task Group’s remit which this proposal delivers. We will work in partnership with Elmbridge and Runnymede on this joint initiative to protect mooring sites. Each of the three Boroughs, while different in scale, has been facing an increase in anti-social behaviour associated with unauthorised moorings and this needs to be addressed for our residents.”
The consultation can be completed until 30 September 2019. A copy of the Report and Frequently Asked Questions can be found on the Council’s website.
Consultation: www.spelthorne.gov.uk/currentconsultations
FAQs: www.spelthorne.gov.uk/mooringsfaq
Report to Cabinet in July 2019: Item 2618
https://democracy.spelthorne.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=132&MId=1965&Ver=4
Spelthorne Skills & Careers Fair, 19th September
The Spelthorne Skills and Careers Fair 2019 is taking place from 10am - 5pm on Thursday 19 September at Kempton Park Racecourse.
With over 50 of Spelthorne's leading employers and skills providers exhibiting and promoting live job vacancies, this will be a fantastic opportunity to look for your next role, learn about training opportunities and meet the wide range of employers based in the Borough.
A free bus service is running to Kempton, leaving Ashford Tesco at 10am, 12noon and 2pm and Staines Job Centre at 10.15am, 12.15pm and 2.15pm; returning from Kempton at 11am, 1pm, 3pm and 5pm.
This year's event is sponsored by Heathrow Airport, A2 Dominion Housing and Tricca. You will find them at the Skills Fair alongside a broad range of local businesses and education providers.
Entrance is free and further details can be found on the Council's website at www.spelthorne.gov.uk/skillsfair
Cllr Olivia Rybinski, Cabinet Member for Economic Development, said: "This is an excellent free event which brings the Borough's top employers together under one roof. If you are looking for a career change or are just starting out, I recommend you come along and find out what's on offer."
Vacancy for an Independent Remuneration Panel Member at Spelthorne Council
Spelthorne Council has asked us publish this vacancy to our Association members:
- To see the advertisement, click here
- To read the Role Profile, click here
- To read the application form, click here
Please note, all the above files are in Microsoft Word format.
Spelthorne Means Business Awards - Closing date for Entries 31 August
The following notice has been received from the Council:
Entries for the Spelthorne Means Business Awards close on 31 August so there are just a few weeks to tell us what makes your business special. We have twelve categories so there's an award to suit every type and size of business.
The winners of 'Best Business in Spelthorne' at last year's awards told the Council that being involved with the Awards had been really beneficial. Viv Lambe from Brown Bag Crisps said: "We were so honoured to win the inaugural Spelthorne Means Business Awards and genuinely couldn't believe it. We had been shortlisted for 'Exporter of the Year' and to win overall business on top of that felt just unbelievable, and a culmination of 9 years' hard work.
"Not only has the prestige of the awards been a great boost for us as a team, but it has opened up so many opportunities that we just didn't expect. It can feel quite lonely as a small business at times, but the awards introduced us to the wider Spelthorne business community, which is a wonderful network of people and groups. The support we have had has just been great and we urge anyone to enter these awards, not just for the opportunities and publicity it brings, but for all the amazing people you can meet."
Cllr Olivia Rybinski, Spelthorne Council's Cabinet Member for Economic Development, said: "So many of the businesses who entered last year have told us that being part of the Business Awards gave them great publicity, helped them to make new contacts, and provided an opportunity to recognise the hard work of their staff. We look forward to celebrating with the finalists and announcing the winners at the gala dinner at Shepperton Studios on 17 October."
Visit www.spelthorne.gov.uk/SMBA by 31 August to enter your business for an award.
Award categories
- Best new start up
- Creative business of the year
- Best small business
- Healthy business award
- Independent business of the year
- Exporter of the year
- Best corporate social responsibility business
- Best business in Ashford and Stanwell
- Best business in Shepperton and Charlton
- Best business in Staines and Laleham
- Best business in Staines BID area
All Welcome to the Sunbury Regatta next Saturday 10th August
Since 1877, the Sunbury Regatta has not only been a serious skiffing race event for local clubs, but also an annual calendar event for Surrey and the local community supporting the development of skills and enjoyment of the River Thames.
To achieve this the Regatta Committee runs this 2 day annual Regatta with 60 separate events on the water and onshore at Sunbury and provide grants to individuals and to other organisations focussed on promoting healthy recreation on the river Thames on a year round basis.
All profits from the The Regatta are put toward these charitable objectives and activities.
Thousands of families attend to watch 60 club skiffing and punting races as well as 40 local events such as ‘Row for your local’ and Dongola racing in fancy dress.
Away from the river, the lawn on Rivermead Island provides family fun and events all day.
Food stalls from around the world, bar tents, live music through to face painting and tug-o-war provide entertainment through to dusk when the increasingly renowned fireworks displays entertains people for miles around.
Sunbury Walled Garden Receives Green Flag Award - the Latest of Many!
The UK’s very best green spaces were announced on 16 July with Staines Cemetery and the Sunbury Walled Garden in Spelthorne receiving a prestigious Green Flag Award - the mark of a quality park or green space.
They join a record-breaking 1,970 UK parks and green spaces and 131 in thirteen other countries around the world who have been recognised by the Green Flag Award scheme.
This international award, now into its third decade, is a sign to the public that the space boasts the highest possible environmental standards, is beautifully maintained and has excellent visitor facilities.
