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.
The Blue Bishops Return to Sunbury Cricket Club, 19th February
The next Music Night at the SCC falls on Friday 19th February, when the Club welcomes back The Blue Bishops, another band who are long overdue a re-appearance at the Club. Their style is very much at the up-beat rocking end of the blues/R&B spectrum, and their line-up features musicians with an impressive musical heritage.
Guitarist/vocalist Simon Burrett is a veteran of many bands since his time as an artist with Mike Vernon’s Blue Horizon label in the ‘60s, and Geoff Grange (guitar/harmonica/vocals) is a former collaborator of Bill Wyman and Nicky Hopkins. The Club is especially pleased that bassist Jim Rodford, of The Zombies and Argent (and rarely available these days because of his touring schedule with them) has confirmed he can do this gig; and Jim’s son Steve Rodford, who now also plays with the Zombies, is on drums. More info at www.bluebishops.co.uk.
Their album “In The Red” was produced by former Abbey Road luminary John Leckie, producer of Bebop Deluxe, Argent and Radiohead. Find out lots more and hear some tracks at www.bluebishops.co.uk. It will be an exciting evening of music ranging across blues, rock and R&B, and the Club looks forward to seeing you there.
Food will be available once more, with a new menu, and with hours extended so that it is served up until 9pm.
Interested in Developing the Arts?
The Sunbury & Shepperton Arts Association (SSAA) is looking for one or two people to Chair/co-chair their Association. This is a voluntary position run through the Riverside Arts Centre in Thames Street, Sunbury. The SSAA runs the Arts Festival for Sunbury & Shepperton and also organises Coffee Concerts during the Spring & Autumn each year; and other events, from time to time, as they arise. For example, in 2014 the SSAA facilitated ‘The Restoration of Nell Gwyn’, an excellent show written by Steve Trafford and superbly acted by Elizabeth Mansfield and Angela Curran.
Their current Co-Chairs feel that it is time for them to retire and let other people take the SSAA forward. Your plans for the SSAA will shape its future.
To apply, contact Catherine Black on 07864 057760 (email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) and/or Carmen Souchet 01932 567365 (email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) by the end of March and come in for a discussion with them and other members of the committee. They would love to hear from you.
Local Sunbury East Councillor Elected as New Leader of Council
Cllr Ian Harvey, who was elected to the Council in 2013 as ward councillor for Sunbury East, was elected as the new Leader of Spelthorne Borough Council at an Extraordinary meeting of the Council held on Tuesday 2 February.
Cllr Quentin Edgington tendered his resignation as Leader prior to the vote.
Speaking after his election, Cllr Harvey said: "I am honoured that my fellow Conservative councillors have entrusted me with leading the controlling Conservative group at such an important time for Spelthorne. I look forward to working with my Deputy, Councillor Tony Harman, our Cabinet and fellow councillors as well as the Council staff to ensure we deliver excellent and cost effective services for residents."
Are you planning the perfect Valentine’s meal?
If you’re planning to eat out this Valentine’s Day, the last thing you should have to worry about is whether the restaurant takes food hygiene seriously.
The truth is, you can’t tell much about a restaurant’s hygiene standards from its appearance but there is one easy way to set yourmind at rest - check the food hygiene ratings. These tell you about hygiene standards in restaurants and other food businesses.
Check online at http://ratings.food.gov.uk/authority-search/spelthorne or, if you’re out and about, look for the green and black sticker. If you can’t see one just ask the staff.
The ratings reflect the findings of the Council’s Environmental Health Officers and range from 0 to 5, with a 5 rating meaning that the hygiene standards are very good.
Currently in Spelthorne, 52% of food businesses are rated as very good and 82% are rated as satisfactory, good or very good - so there are plenty of places to choose from.
For more information visit https://www.spelthorne.gov.uk/foodhygiene
Sunbury & Shepperton Arts Association - Spring Coffee Mornings
The Sunbury & Shepperton Arts Association is pleased to announce their Spring Coffee Concert programme.
Performance times, venue and box office details are given on the attached information leaflet.
"To Billie with Love" - A tribute to Billie Holiday, 7th February at the Riverside Arts Centre
To Celebrate Billie's 100th birthday, Marta Capponi is pleased to present a night dedicated to her music. Marta's voice will bring the audience into the charming atmosphere of the old 40's when Billie Holliday was at the top of her short and intense career. Marta will be accompanied by an excellent jazz trio featuring Hampton based pianist Terence Collie, Richard Sadler on bass; and Emiliano Caroselli on drums.
The performance will start at 7.30pm (doors 7pm) with tickets at the door £10. Alternatively you may book online for the reduced rate of £8 at www.moodindigoevents.co.uk
More...
Patients Participation Group Open Meeting, 8th February
The next open meeting of the Patients' Participation Group will be held at the Sunbury Health Centre from 6.30pm - 7.30pm on Monday 8th February.
The meeting, which has previously generated much positive feedback will, as before, be of limited duration and those wishing to attend may like to refer to the latest set of minutes from the Core Group for an update.
The Lee Ryder Band Makes Welcome Come-back to SCC on 29th January
The next music night is on Friday 29th January, when Sunbury Cricket Club welcomes back the Lee Ryder Band who played at the Club a couple of years back and are long overdue another appearance.
LRB is a top class professional blues band, led by Lee Ryder, a Londoner who has been playing the blues for over 40 years with some of the best players in the genre, since touring as a teenager in the ‘60s with his band Hush. All the members have a long history in the business, with Dave Lennox, formerly with The Foundations and Blodwyn Pig, on keyboards, and Simon Bishop, once with Renaissance and familiar to you as a member of The Good Old Boys, on guitar, plus Roger Brewer on drums and Vince Lewis on bass.
The Club has acquired a reputation for presenting top quality blues, and this gig will be no exception. There are loads of music, biogs and other info on their web site at www.theleeryderband.co.uk, so check them out.
National "Clean for the Queen" Event, Weekend 4th - 6th March
Many readers will be aware from coverage in the national press that, during the weekend of 4th - 6th March this year, a countrywide clean-up event called Clean for the Queen will take place in honour of Her Majesty’s 90th birthday. As the name suggests, it is a clean-up activity to remove litter from the streets and open spaces of Britain.
Whilst the Council will not be taking a central role in this initiative it is able to offer supplies of litter-pickers, gloves & bags; and will collect bags of litter afterwards.
If you are interested in taking part in this event you can either email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. giving all the details of how many litter pickers, gloves, bags etc you require; or you can call the Depot direct on 01748 446411 to discuss your requirements.
To gauge the extent of support for this event it would be helpful if volunteers were also to get in touch with LOSRA by using the 'Contact LOSRA' facility at the top of the home page. (not the comment section below this notice). Likewise, if you have any particular street or open space in mind.
Cycle/footbridge Project Update
The following email has been received from Paul Fishwick, who heads up Surrey's Local Enterprise Partnership:
"The County Council is currently assessing potential Expressions of Interest to the Growth Deal 3 funding recently announced by the Government.
"The Lower Sunbury Residents' Association proposal for a cycle/footbridge over the River Thames is being considered with other projects in this latest round of funding. However, any project that makes the 'short-list' for an Expression of Interest must meet the criteria objectives of the fund, which includes a) within a Growth Town area, b) growth in jobs, c) growth in housing, growth in floor space, d) delivery within the financial period 2018/19-2021/22 e) 'match-funding' (currently 25%) f) fit with Local Plan/borough priorities.
"An evaluation of potential projects for the Expressions of Interest will now take place early in the New Year and I will write to you again when I have further information."
This page will be updated just as soon as Mr Fishwick writes back to us.
The Nashville Teens to Kick Off New Year at Sunbury Cricket Club on 8th January
Once again, on Friday 8th January the SCC welcomes back The Nashville Teens to kick off the New Year in style with their trademark brand of hard-hitting 60s R&B, featuring, of course, their two memorable 1964 Top Ten hits with “Tobacco Road” and “Google Eye - their epic version of “Tobacco Road” is always a worthy highlight of the show.
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 an array of seasoned performers, including Colin Pattenden, member of Manfred Mann’s Earth band when they had their big hits back in the 70s, on bass, 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 rousing night of to get the new season of Music Nights under way, featuring in Ray one of the great voices of the beat era.
Happy New Year to All our Readers
The Chairman and LOSRA Committee wish all our readers a happy, prosperous and healthy New Year.
The Winter edition of the Council bulletin recently posted through our letter boxes is silent on one of the most significant events likely to affect all residents throughout the Borough during 2016: the revision of the Local Plan which sets out how much development should be allowed in Spelthorne.The review will have to balance the need for new homes and jobs against the ability to accommodate development, taking into account issues such as Green Belt, flood risk and infrastructure. At the end of the review the Council will put forward to an independent planning inspector how much development it thinks it can meet.
The review is one of the most important and contentious subjects facing the residents of Spelthorne over coming years, and it is essential that the local authority takes all proper steps to engage with residents on the issue; and give them a realistic and practical opportunity to contribute to the debate and the process surrounding it. The imperative for community involvement is all the more critical as the process will require a review of our green belt, the protection of which has recently been weakened by central government.
To press for the preservation of Green Belt and public open spaces; and working to protect the local environment is one of LOSRA's key aims and we need your invaluable support for this to continue. Please take this opportunity to renew your £5 subscription for 2016 or, if you are not currently a member, please join us.
Christmas Art Trail
A free event for children and families
This Christmas, Staines-upon-Thames will be welcoming some interesting visitors. Children are invited to take part in a fun and festive interactive walk where they will be introduced to funny Christmas characters and be asked to solve riddles along the route.
The event is being organised to launch Spelthorne Council’s Art Walk leaflet which gives a route and information for viewing the public art and heritage sculptures in Staines-upon-Thames town centre.
The Art Walk leaflet will be available to download from Spelthorne Council’s website or you can pick one up from your local library or the Council Offices in Knowle Green.
Date: Tuesday 22 December
Times: 11am and 2pm, walks last roughly 1 hour
Meeting place: Memorial Gardens, Thames Street, Staines-upon-Thames, TW18 4RH
Children are encouraged to come in fancy dress and Santa will have a special prize for the child who appears most festive! To purchase a Santa suit for £3 (cash only) come to the reception area at the Council Offices any week day between 10am and 4pm (limited stock available).
For more information please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 01784 446433.
Christmas Tree Collections
Spelthorne Council is offering a free kerbside collection of real Christmas trees from 4 - 29 January 2016.
The Council is not operating a booking system this year – simply leave your tree on your property boundary by 6am on your rubbish or recycling collection day.
Trees should not be decorated or left in pots or stands.
Alternatively from 4 – 29 January 2016 you can take your real tree to one of the following drop-off points:-
- Fordbridge Park, Ashford
- Manor Park, Shepperton
- Old Bathing Station, Fordbridge Road, Sunbury-on-Thames
Info: For further information, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 01784 446411.
