The cancellation of last year's Christmas Market due to the Covid pandemic was a great disappointment and, with it, the missed opportunity to meet new and existing members.

We are therefore very grateful to the Lower Sunbury Business Community for bringing back the market this Christmas.

The Christmas Market will be held on Thursday 9th December from 5pm - 8pm.

As in previous years, LOSRA will have a stall manned by members of our Committee and we would be very pleased to see you there.

The following notice has been published by the Council and we reproduce it here to alert readers to the proliferation of fly-tipping cowboys who profess to be licensed waste carriers:

"We are reminding householders that you are required to take reasonable steps to check that people removing waste from your premises are authorised to do so.

"On 16 September 2021 Spelthorne Borough Council introduced a £200 fixed penalty notice for households that breach their duty of care in relation to the disposal of household waste. A prosecution could attract a £5,000 fine in the Magistrates Court and an unlimited fine in the Crown Court.

"Reasonable steps to take include:

• asking the waste carrier to provide you with their full address and telephone number
• asking to see their waste carrier licence issued by the Environment Agency
• contacting the Environment Agency directly on 0870 850 6506 and ask for a free instant Waste Carrier Validation Check, alternatively you can check online on the Environment Agency website

The following notice has been circulated by the Council and we are pleased to reproduce it here:

Remembrance Sunday falls on 14 November in 2021 and is an opportunity for us to remember the Armed Forces, and their families, from Britain and the Commonwealth, and the vital role played by the emergency services and those that have lost their lives because of conflict or terrorism.

Whilst we are delighted to see the return of wreath laying ceremonies at each of Spelthorne’s memorials this year. In view of the pandemic, they have been scaled back with the ambition that they will return to full capacity in November 2022.

Details of each of the events is available on the website: click here

Please note that the services may be impacted by changing Coronavirus precautions. Please check the latest situation 24 hours before the day.

Poppy Appeal

It has been another particularly difficult year for service charities with fundraising significantly down on previous years. As such we are keen to support This year's Poppy Appeal which launches on Thursday 28 October.

You can pick up your poppy at the Council offices at Knowle Green, at the check-out of all major supermarkets as well as online or at branches of Lloyds Bank and Santander.

Spelthorne Borough Council is inviting people who live and work in the Borough to give their views on the proposals for the Council's 2022/2023 budget and beyond. All participants of this consultation will be entered into a prize draw to win a year's membership at Spelthorne or Sunbury Leisure Centre.

This is an opportunity for everyone who uses the Council's services to input into this important process and give their views on where they think Spelthorne should be focusing its resources. The aim is to plan future budgets that meet the needs of the community, protect key services and maintain financial stability during these challenging times.

The consultation asks for views on Spelthorne's financial strategy, key issues and options, proposed service provision and future Council Tax levels.

Leader of the Council, Cllr Lawrence Nichols, said: "This is an important opportunity for residents and businesses to help shape our budget and priorities for future years. We want to know if you agree with our spending plans and hear your views on the best way we can support everyone in our community. 

"There are huge pressures on the Council's finances, but we are committed to setting a balanced and sustainable budget which will protect the services on which residents and businesses rely." 

The consultation runs from 1 November - 28 November 2021. To take part visit https://spelthorne.inconsult.uk/

Alternatively, if you would like a printed copy of the consultation sent to you, email your postal address to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 01784 444260.

The article below (Tuesday 19th October) incorrectly referred to the closure of our first season of the Ferry Crossing.

For the final times this year, the ferry will in fact be running on 30-31 October between 10am and 4pm.

The service will then close until Easter 2022.

The October half-term week is upon us and Spelthorne Council have a number of suggested activities in which residents with younger family members may like to take part.

For further details, go to: https://www.spelthorne.gov.uk/article/20446/Half-Term-fun-in-Spelthorne

Last Saturday brought to an end the first season of the very successful Sunbury to Walton ferry. An event was supposed to have taken place at the launching of the new ferry service back in July but as Covid restrictions made that impossible it seemed fitting to mark the end of our first season with a small celebration of the project's success.

Figures show that in the first 25 days of operation the ferry carried 6,331 passengers consisting of adults, children, bikes, pushchairs and dogs. This figure is all the more impressive when one considers that it rained on 13 of those days!

LOSRA Committee member Neil Huntingford, along with Simon Harris, directors of Sunbury Ferry Ltd, a not for profit community company, hosted the event and thanked all those who had made it possible:

• Spelthorne Borough Council, especially their River Thames Task Group,
• Surrey County Council
• Lower Sunbury Residents' Association,
• Middle Thames Yacht Club,
• Halliford School,
• Sunbury Matters,
• The Riverside Arts Centre,
• The Environment Agency,
• Sassy Apron,
• Daphne Clement who has immortalised the ferry in watercolours.

Speeches were made by Neil, Cllr. Vivienne Leighton, Chair of the River Thames Task Group, and the Mayor, Cllr. Ian Harvey. Special mention was reserved for the willing band of volunteer skippers and crew who have willingly given up their time to share their expertise and to learn new skills; and commit to running the service with professionalism, dedication and a ready smile despite the weather.

Despite the officer's recommendation to approve this plan, the Planning Committee on 13th October voted against the construction of the 5 storey block of 39 flats as the Second phase of the Benwell House development in Green Street, pictured. (Artist impressions are always designed to look seductive!)

It was a close run thing with the vote: 6 in favour and 7 against. In addition to two well-organised and professional local residents, the Vice-chairman of this Association and Cllr. Kathy Grant (in whose ward the site is situated) also spoke against the application.

The reasons for refusal which have now been published on the Council website are summarised below:

1. The proposed development, by reason of its height, bulk and close proximity to the boundary with the residential properties in Meadows End and Dunnell Close, would result in an unacceptable, overbearing effect and lead to overlooking and loss of privacy to these residential properties, detrimental
to their amenity and contrary to Policy EN1(b) of the Core Strategy and Policies DPD, February 2009, and the National Planning Policy Framework 2021.

2. The proposed development will lead to an unacceptable loss of trees protected by a Tree Preservation Order, which make an important contribution to the urban environment and the landscape quality of the site and surrounding area, contrary to Policies EN1(d), EN7 and EN8(c) of the Core Strategy and Policies DPD, February 2009, and the National Planning Policy Framework 2021.

3. The proposed development by reason of its height, bulk and scale, would result in an unacceptable development which would fail to respect and make a positive contribution to the street scene and character of the area, contrary to Policy EN1(a) of the Core Strategy and Policies DPD, February
2009, and the National Planning Policy Framework 2021.

It's important to state that, at no time, was there an objection to some form of development taking place on this site. Our objections, as described above, would have been made clear from the outset had there been any meaningful public engagement from the outset - a requirement specified by the National Planning Policy Framework.

Spelthorne Borough Council has announced that, for the 11th year running, the Sunbury Walled Garden and Staines Cemetery have been awarded Green Flag status.

The Green Flag Award scheme, managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy under licence from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, recognises and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces, setting the benchmark standard for the management of green spaces across the United Kingdom and around the world.

The historic Walled Garden in Sunbury Park was built in the early part of the 18th Century. Following years of neglect, Spelthorne Council embarked on a restoration project of the two-acre garden in 1985. Now home to over 200 varieties of clematis, this 'hidden gem' provides a tranquil spot all year round.