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.
LOSRA New Year Newsletter Out Now
We use this item to wish all our readers a happy Christmas and a (more) peaceful New Year for 2024.
Our New Year newsletter will be circulated shortly after Christmas with your copy of Sunbury Matters but, if you cannot wait, you can read it here.
The front page is devoted to a possible BESS proposal (what? you may ask) for land adjoining the so-called EcoPark.
Roberto Manzin, Saxaphone, Joins the Terrie Collie Trio, 17th December at the RAC
Roberto Manzin continues to be a popular session player (he recorded on eight albums in 2010, ranging in style from Pop to Latin, Rock/Blues, Ska and Jazz) and appears in music festivals throughout Europe, as well as performing regularly at many venues around Europe.The Liverpool Echoes to Perform at the SCC on 8th December
The last Music Night of 2023 at Sunbury Cricket Club on Friday 8th December, sees the return to the traditional tried and tested party formula as the Club once again features 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 Club's Christmas party shows with his band The Mersey Legends. The Club are 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.
It's £10.00 on the door payable by cash or cards. Hot food will be available as usual from about 6.30pm, and the band will be on stage by around 8.45 at the latest.
Riverside Youth Theatre Brings Jane Austen's Emma to the RAC, 7th - 9th December
Bad Influence Band Comes to SCC on 24th November
The next Music Night at Sunbury Cricket Club is on Friday 24th November, and features BAD INFLUENCE, which is a change of plan from the previously advised schedule, which listed SKELETON CREW. Unfortunately, they have a health issue in the band and have had to pull out, so BAD INFLUENCE stepped forward from their scheduled February date to fill the slot.BAD INFLUENCE is one of our most popular bands, and have done some storming shows for the Club, including headlining one of their Beer Festivals, so we are always delighted to welcome them back as it’s been well over a year since they last played at the here.
They feature Val Cowell on guitar and vocals, Richard Hayes on guitar, Pete Stroud on bass, and Johnny Brister on drums, performing their distinctive brand of hard-hitting up-front blues/rock, blending original material from their albums with interpretations of material from the likes of Tom Petty, Bonnie Raitt and Fleetwood Mac. It will be a fine evening of archetypal Sunbury Music Night fare. There’s more info at www.badinfluence.org.uk.
It's £10.00 on the door payable by cash or cards.
As previously noted, we are starting the shows a bit earlier these days, as the room tends to be full by about 8.30, so the band will be on stage by about 8.40 - 8.45. The bar is open from 6pm and hot food will be available from around 6.30. It promises to be a great night and we look forward to seeing you there. The fliers for the event are attached - please share them with any friends who might be interested. We look forward to seeing you there.
Please note also that the website where Music Night information is carried is now www.sunburysports.org/music-
Sunbury Christmas Market on Thursday 7th December
This year’s Sunbury Christmas Market, organized by the Lower Sunbury Business Community (LSBC). is being held on Thursday 7th December between 5pm and 8.00pm on Avenue Parade (outside the shops) in Lower Sunbury.
It's one of the highlights of the social calendar and always well attended. It promises gift and food stalls, meet Santa (5pm - 7pm) and carols with the Salvation Army (6:30pm).
The road will be closed to traffic during the event and 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!
It will be a most enjoyable evening for both adults and children judging from previous successful years!
More...
Thames and the Environment Agency - Insider Tells All
The following link, if true, reveals a very worrying description of the Environment Agency and its failure to discharge many of its core functions in relation to the river Thames.
It is emphasised that the account comes from one anonymised whistle-blower only and, at the time of writing, the EA has not responded.
Remembrance Sunday, 12th November
| 10.15am | Groups to convene at St Paul's School Car Park, the Ridings |
| 10.30am | Groups to proceed to the War Memorial |
| 10.50am | Assemble at the War Memorial for a short service conducted by Father Andrew Downes |
| 11am | The Silence |
| 11.02am |
Laying of wreaths: |
Sunbury & Halliford NetZero Survey
Dog Control Public Space Protection Order - Consultation
dogs are not permitted in children's play areas, ball courts, multi games courts, tennis courts etc.
failing to clear dog faeces
walking more than four dogs
failing to keep their dogs on leads by direction
failing to keep dogs on leads in Council cemeteries, leisure centres and named car parks failing to carry suitable means for proper disposal of dog faecesSaxophonist Alex Garnett Joins the Terry Collie Trio at the RAC on 5th November
Alex Garnett has been one of the leading saxophonists in the UK and Mainland Europe for over two decades, being instantly recognized by his dark, husky sound. A versatile musician and first call sideman, he has enjoyed success as both a jazz artist, composer and arranger, and an in demand session, studio and commercial saxophonist, having racked up countless recording credits along the way.
A ubiquitous performer with many of Europe’s leading bands from underground to pop, he’s a regular sideman of choice for many visiting American artists when touring in Europe, and has performed in over 30 countries worldwide appearing at such venues as the Blue Note, Birdland, as well as the Perugia, North Sea, Vittoria, Montreax, and Oslo Jazz Festivals to name but a few, with varied and diverse artists across the spectrum such as Sir John Dankworth, Wynton Marsalis, Pete King, Humphrey Littleton, Scott Hamilton, Van Morrison, Evan Parker and The Rolling Stones, as well as with his contemporaries Gareth Lockrane, Seamus Blake, Phil Robson, Michael Janisch, Joel Frahm, and more.
Alex will be joining the Terence Collie Trio on Sunday, 5th November at the Riverside Arts Centre.
Surrey County Council Wants to Know What You Think about Making our Streets Safer
The following email has been forwarded to LoSRA and we are pleased to reproduce it here:
Surrey County Council will be designing proposals to improve the streets in Lower Sunbury.
Proposals will be developed that can make streets safer, healthier and more attractive, with lower traffic speed limits and improved facilities for walking, wheeling and cycling.
We want to hear from people who live, work, travel through and spend time in the Lower Sunbury area. We are interested in hearing what the key local transport issues are and what could be changed to improve the streets in Lower Sunbury. The views of local stakeholders are important to us and so it would be very much appreciated if you could share this with members within your organisation who may be interested in providing their views. The views of individuals as well as those on the behalf of schools, organisations and businesses are being gathered at this early stage before any plans are developed.
Find out more and tell us what you think online at https://lowersunbury.commonplace.is/
The Project Team will be hosting two engagement sessions to answer any questions and gather views.
Both events will be held in the Sunbury Adult Learning Centre, The Avenue, Sunbury-on-Thames, TW16 5DZ on the following dates:
- Thursday 19 October 2023 from 1:30pm until 6pm.
- Saturday 28 October 2023 from 10am until 1pm.
The engagement period closes on 31 October 2023.
SKY HIGH Comes to the SCC on 13th October
The Mustangs put on a fantastic show to a full room a couple of weeks ago to get the music season off to a flying start at the Sunbury Cricket Club.
The next Music Night is a week on Friday, 13th October, when the Club welcome's back SKY HIGH, who played at the Club last summer and attracted a packed house. They put on a great show that was extremely well-received, with plenty of people dancing.
The band members are all familiar faces to you, as guitarist Roland Le Roc and bass player Allen Bis are former members of The Mersey Legends, and drummer Stephane Booroff is a member of our house charity band The Chain Gang as well as being in The Escorts and leading his own jazz quartet The Blues Notes — he is also a former member of Edison Lighthouse.
SKY HIGH perform regularly around the country at Warner Hotels and other venues, playing pop and rock hits from a much-ignored era, the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, and it makes for great party night.
Tickets are £10 on the door. The bar is open from 6pm and hot food will be available from around 6.30. It promises to be a great night and we look forward to seeing you there.
The shows are starting a bit earlier these days as everyone seems to be there by about 8.30, so expect the band to be on stage by 8.45 at the latest.
Please note also that the website where Music Night information is carried is now www.sunburysports.org/music-club/
Minister of State Says "No" to Council Leader's Attempts to Ditch Local Plan
Despite her repeated denials, it is suspected that the Leader of the Council had always intended that the third option to be debated at the Extraordinary Council Meeting on 14th September, namely; to "Withdraw the Local Plan from examination and prepare a new Local Plan" would win the day.
However, at the 11th hour, The Minister of State intervened by exercising The Secretary of State's powers under Section 27, Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 directing that the Council should not take any step to withdraw the plan from examination (currently paused by Council) and report monthly to her officials on the progress with the examination.
In her letter she states: "The last Local Plan was adopted in 2009, it should have been reviewed and updated many years ago. Withdrawing the Plan at this advanced stage of preparation will extend the already unacceptable period in which the Council has had no up-to-date local plan in place."
The Minister concludes the letter: "Should a significant delay occur to progressing the examination and should you fail to comply with the directions in this letter, I will consider taking further intervention action to ensure that an up-to-date plan is in place."
LOSRA has long campaigned for the plan's eventual adoption (despite its unpopular provisions) as the best defence against unplanned predatory developments and, in this regard only, we welcomed the Secretary of State's intervention.
It was the second option that was voted through, namely: to seek a further pause in the Examination timetable until the proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) have been published (expected in the Autumn) before agreeing next steps; and to take legal advice on the viability of challenging the Minister's decision.
It's reasonable to suppose this to be a further delaying tactic as it's difficult to imagine what within the revised NPPF is likely to make a material difference to the status quo.
Residents have no option but to observe how this highly divisive saga rumbles on and on until its eventual denouement.
