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.
London Irish Beer Festival and Family Day, June 22nd, 12pm - 11pm
To raise money for the Amateur Club (LIARFC) the Club will be hosting its second beer festival following last year’s success.
This year they will be aiming a little bit bigger with more external food and drink stalls to offer a wide range of street food and snacks; and alternatives to real ale. Live music will be provided throughout by four excellent bands.
More information, and ticket details, can be found on their website: www.eventsatliarfc.co.uk/
AGM Reminder
LOSRA AGM - Wednesday, 19th June, 8pm at the Riverside Arts Centre.
AGENDA
1. Apologies for absence
2. Minutes of the 2018 Annual General Meeting
3. Chairman’s Report
4. Treasurer’s Report
5. Election of Officers and Committee
6. A tribute to the late Peter Francis, LOSRA Committee Member
7. Presentation by David Munro, Police & Crime Commissioner for Surrey, and Inspector Maxine Cilia, Surrey Police Borough Commander for Spelthorne
8. Open Forum
9. Any other business
Website Update - Parking Proposals for Lower Sunbury
A notice from the Council:
The parking proposals are currently being advertised by public notice for 28 days. This includes the publishing of a formal notice in a local newspaper; street notices being erected on site at each location; plus drawings and a statement of reasons being available to view at each library across the borough, and also at Spelthorne Borough Council offices. Those properties immediately fronting locations where changes are proposed will be notified individually by letter.
You can download and view the plans for Lower Sunbury and Halliford by clicking here
If you wish to object, support or comment on any of these proposals, then please complete our online response form (available from Friday 7 June) by 5 July 2019.
Alternatively, you can write to us via the following address: Spelthorne parking review 2019, Parking Team, Hazel House, Merrow Lane, Guildford GU4 7BQ.
Manor Players Bring Agatha Christie's The Hollow
27th - 29th June at the Riverside Arts Centre, Manor Players Bring Agatha Christie's The Hollow.
For poster and booking details, click here
One day left to respond to Consultation on Local Green Spaces Methodology
Further to the article posted on this site on 29th April, there is now just one day left to respond to this consultation.
Reponses must be submitted by close of play on Tuesday 4th June. “The Local Green Space designation was introduced by the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) in March 2012 which offers a high degree of protection to areas of importance to the local community. This is on the basis that the land meets certain criteria to achieve the designation.” (Para 1.4). “The Local Green Space designation was introduced by the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) in March 2012 which offers a high degree of protection to areas of importance to the local community. This is on the basis that the land meets certain criteria to achieve the designation.” (para.1.6).
Our comments may be summarised as follows:
- We believe that a total score of at least 13 out of the 25 available sets the bar too high. After all, “There has been no standard methodology produced by the Government against which the areas proposed to be designated as Local Green Space are assessed.” (Para. 2.1) If uniformly applied we would expect these sites, amongst others, to be vulnerable to exclusion:
- Flower Pot Green
- Cedars Recreation Ground, Green Street
- Hawke Park (Former Line of Lower Sunbury Relief Road TP26)
- Belgrave Road/Batavia Road
- Lime Crescent
- Furthermore, the burden of proof is on local residents to evidence “observed wildlife” or “frequent” recreational use by the community in order to qualify for protection as a local green space. How is this evidence to be acquired?
- Para. 3.9 “The minimum threshold proposed is any area below 0.25 hectares (0.6 acres) would not be designated. This represents the size of an area which can accommodate approximately one residential unit.” We disagree with this assessment. 0.25 of a hectare would allow for up to 12 residential units.
LOSRA AGM - Wednesday, 19th June, 8pm at the Riverside Arts Centre. View Newsletter Here
AGENDA
1. Apologies for absence
2. Minutes of the 2018 Annual General Meeting
3. Chairman’s Report
4. Treasurer’s Report
5. Election of Officers and Committee
6. A tribute to the late Peter Francis, LOSRA Committee Member
7. Presentation by David Munro, Police & Crime Commissioner for Surrey, and Inspector Maxine Cilia, Surrey Police Borough Commander for Spelthorne
8. Open Forum
9. Any other business
The AGM Newsletter, which will be distributed to households in early June may be viewed by clicking here
To see audited account for 2018, click here
More...
A Celebration of Jazz Guitarist, George Benson Comes to the RAC on 9th June
Guitarist, Clement Regert is a Parisienne who moved to London in 2005. Since re-locating to our Capital he has played at numerous venues and festivals in the UK such as the London Jazz Festival, London Latin-Jazz festival, the Canary Wharf jazz Festival, Ronnie Scott’s, Pizza Express Soho and the Jazz Cafe. He has collaborated with the likes of Lianne Carroll, Tim Garland, Natalie Williams, Dennis Rollins, Denys Baptiste, Mark Mondesir, Andrew McCormack, Robert Mitchell, Ross Stanley, Jay Phelps and Jim Watson, to name but a few.
He joins the Terence Collie trio on 9th June at 7.45pm for what promises to be another superb evening of jazz. He and the trio will be celebrating the Jazz guitarist, George Benson.
Venue: The Riverside Arts Centre, 59 Thames Street, Lower Sunbury.
Patient Participation Group, Open Meeting 3rd June, 6.30pm - 7.30pm
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.
Dementia Friends event at Shepperton Village Hall on Wednesday 22nd May from 1:45 – 4:15pm
The following self-explanatory email has been received from Nigel Drury, Community Connector at Spelthorne Council and we are pleased to reproduce it here:
“I write to you and some others who have expressed interest in the idea of an organised community-based approach to increasing dementia awareness and helping bring the right help and support to those living with dementia.
“The Shepperton Dementia Action Group with whom I’ve worked is hosting an afternoon event at the Shepperton Village Hall on Wednesday 22nd May (click here for poster). That is to mark the Alzheimer’s Society Dementia Action Week and provide the community with the chance to meet representatives of various organisations who are providing help and services to people living with dementia and their families.
“It is also an opportunity to hold a ‘Dementia Friends’ training session, and I would encourage you to pass on the word to those who might be interested in becoming a ‘Dementia Friend’. I attach the leaflet for the event.
“A visit to the Shepperton event by Sunbury folk can be seen as part of the road to the formation of their own group in the near future. Indeed I am now available to be at hand to facilitate that community initiative should there be enough of a collective will – which I believe there is.
With best regards,
Nigel Drury - Community Connector - Spelthorne Borough Council
Watersplash Farm - CEMEX Replies to Residents' Concerns Over Groundwater Flooding Risk
This Association has been involved in the gravel extraction issue for over 40 years, and has successfully fought to stop or delay the working of gravel at sites in the area.
When the last Surrey Minerals Plan consultation began about 12 years ago it became obvious that Watersplash Farm would be the next site earmarked for working as part of national strategy, LOSRA and SSAGE (Sunbury & Shepperton Against Gravel Extraction) worked first to oppose it and then to mitigate the impact, and Cemex have been very accommodating in this regard, to the extent that LOSRA feels it has achieved as good a result as possible.
One of the reasons the planning application has taken so long was that the Environment Agency raised hydrology issues, which Cemex have addressed in the revised plan. In response to the article in the last Sunbury Matters, Cemex have given the following comment:
“CEMEX can confirm that it has addressed the issue of groundwater flooding at length within the Flood Risk Assessments and Surface Water Management Plan that was contained in Volume 5 of the Environmental Statement (March 2016) and that the Environment Agency have removed their objection to the proposals.
The modelling has shown a modest groundwater level rise up hydraulic gradient of the proposed landfill and an equivalent modest fall down hydraulic gradient. Accordingly, the report states at Paragraph 4.3 that ‘in essence the models showed that groundwater is able to flow around the lower permeability restoration fill with little hindrance.’ Notwithstanding, the company has agreed to install a groundwater drain across the northern application site boundary running from Gaston Bridge Road to the River Ash in order to drain excess groundwater and prevent groundwater flooding.”
Two Great Music Nights at Sunbury Cricket Club on 10th and 17th May
The next Music Night falls on Friday 10th May when the Clubs welcomes back THE GOOD OLD BOYS for a long overdue return visit – it’s been a couple of years since they last came, as we’ve constantly had trouble finding suitable dates.
They are one of the fixtures on the circuit, comprising personalities from a variety of big name bands. Nick Simper (bass/vocals) first played professionally with Johnny Kidd & The Pirates, and was then a founder member of Deep Purple and Warhorse; Peter Parks (guitar/vocals) was also in Deep Purple spin-off Warhorse and then Fandango; Simon Bishop (guitar/vocals) toured with Renaissance, High Society, and The Monks (of ‘Nice Legs, Shame About The Face’ fame); Richard Hudson (drums/vocals) was percussionist with the Strawbs and Hudson Ford and was in Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera, High Society and The Monks; Alan Barratt (lead singer) has worked alongside the likes of Chip Hawkes (Tremelos) and Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers. We know from their previous gigs that the contrasting lead guitar styles of Peter and Simon make for a really entertaining range of rock, blues, R&B and country material and we very much look forward to seeing them again. There’s more info at https://www.facebook.com/thegoodoldboys, www.strawbsweb.co.uk/related/gob/gob.asp and www.nicksimper.com
The following week, 17th May, we are introducing a new strand of Sunbury Music Nights, which we are simply calling “Club Nights”, and which are free admission nights featuring bands closely associated with the club through our “Chain Gang” charity shows, and who are keen to play more often at the venue. There will generally be two bands, and there will usually be a charity collection during the evening. The first one features THE MARSHALL TAYLOR BAND, comprising Mark Doyle, Phil Miller-Tate, Richard Blanford & Mike Farrell, playing classic blues/rock from the 60s & 70s. Mark and Phil are regular Chain Gang members, and also often provide our PA system. (See https://en-gb.facebook.com/themarshalltaylorband/, and videos on YouTube). First on the bill will be the inaugural appearance of a new line-up, BLUES UNLIMITED, a collective drawn from the wider Chain Gang fraternity, playing music from across the blues spectrum, with Gerry Cook, Mark Doyle & Paul Watts on guitars, Roger Harding on bass, Kevin Welling on keys, Geoff Forrester on harmonica and & Alan Worrell on drums , with just about everyone on vocals. It will be a fun night, so please make it along to give this new format a try. Admission is free, and there will be a collection on behalf of The Shooting Star Chase.
Food will be available as usual from about 7.15 for the Good Old Boys. Food for the 17th is subject to confirmation.
Save Our Dark Skies
LOSRA is pleased to support local residents’ crowdfunding campaign to challenge Elmbridge Council’s decision to grant itself planning permission for a huge floodlit sports stadium in the green belt, next to the river Thames.
Public Consultation on Development Plans for Benwell House, Green Street
Knowle Green Estates is consulting on plans to build homes for rent at Ceaser Court previously known as Benwell House (see artist’s impression above) on Green St. in Sunbury.
To see the plans, come along to the public exhibition at the Benwell Centre in Sunbury (TW16 6RT) from 2-7pm on Friday 17 May or 10am-4pm on Sat 18 May.
A Celebration of the Music of Kenny Wheeler & Dave Holland at the RAC on 19th May
Kenneth Vincent John Wheeler, OC was a Canadian composer and trumpet and flugelhorn player, based in the U.K. from the 1950s onwards. Most of his performances were rooted in jazz, but he was also active in free improvisation and occasionally contributed to rock music recordings. Wheeler wrote over one hundred compositions and was a skilled arranger for small groups and large ensembles.
Dave Holland is an English jazz double bassist, composer and bandleader who has been performing and recording for five decades. He has lived in the United States for over 40 years.
To celebrate their music on Sunday 19th May at 7.45pm, the Riverside Arts Centre welcomes Matt Dibble – saxophone/clarinet; Paul Jordanous – trumpet/flugelhorn; Terence Collie – piano; Stuart Barker – bass; and Mitch Perrins – drums.
Venue: RAC, 59 Thames Street, Sunbury, TW16 5QF
£15 on the door or £12 via website: moodindigoevents.co.uk
