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.
Residents Say “No” to Revised Application at London Irish Site
When new home owners moved into the very desirable development at the former London Irish site they had bought in to the “Superior living in a beautifully landscaped setting....stunning 3, 4, and 5 bedroom houses combined with a village setting” in the Crest Nicholson prospectus and had paid prices commensurate with that vision.
It is not surprising therefore, that an amended application to replace the four x 5 bedroom houses with a block of 24 flats was viewed as a breach of good faith and would also irrevocably alter the character of the “village setting” marketed by Crest Nicholson themselves.
Local councillor, Alf Friday, combined with residents to oppose the application at Planning Committee and succeeded (against officer recommendation) to persuade the Committee to refuse unanimously on the grounds that ‘The proposed development, which is in a prominent location when entering the site through the southern access via The Avenue, would, by reason of the location and the scale, massing and height of the building, represent an overdevelopment of the site which would be out of character with and have an unacceptable impact on, the surrounding locality and would fail to make a positive contribution within the street scene, contrary to policy EN1 (a) of the Council’s Core Strategy and Policies DPD 2009.’ Crest Nicholson have 6 months to appeal this decision.
Eco Park Operations - Update
The following is an extract of an email received from Emma Jordan, Corporate Affairs Manager, Recycling and Recovery UK:
“....We are writing to let you know that works are getting underway to create the entrance and internal road layout for the Eco Park.
These works will last around six months and will affect access to the community recycling centre. As a result, waiting times may be affected, particularly at busy times. Temporary changes to the community recycling centre entry and exit roads during the works will be clearly marked and to help residents, we are extending the opening time to 6pm on weekdays from Monday 3 April until the end of September.
Our staff will continue to work to minimise disruption and will be on hand to help residents using the recycling centre. However during this period, residents may wish to visit the site when it is less busy (mid-week and earlier in the day) or use the nearest alternative community recycling centres at Martyrs Lane, Woking and Lyne Lane, Chertsey.
We will be displaying posters in the community recycling centre to advise residents of the works and we are also updating the project website.
We would be grateful if you could share this information with your networks and for those members representing residents associations, if you could notify your respective organisations.
If you have any queries regarding these works, please let us know.
Kind regards,
Emma Jordan
Corporate Affairs Manager
Recycling and recovery UK
Council welcomes rail announcement
Spelthorne Borough Council has welcomed the announcement by the Department for Transport that it intends to award FirstGroup the contract to operate the South Western rail franchise until at least 2024, in a joint venture with MTR.
FirstGroup has committed to deliver £1.2billion of investment and improve the experience for customers by delivering better trains, more seats and quicker journeys – all good news for the thousands of Spelthorne residents who use the rail network each day for work and leisure.
The Council has also taken the opportunity to reiterate its call for Zone 6 to be extended into the Borough and is supporting the work of the Spelthorne in the Zone campaign group which is meeting with the new rail operator to discuss reclassifying the zones. Currently Zone 6 ends at Feltham meaning oyster cards cannot be used at Spelthorne stations.
Spelthorne Council’s Deputy Chief Executive, Terry Collier, said: “Having a fast and efficient rail service is vitally important for Spelthorne and we hope the planned improvements will mean better journeys for passengers and provide a boost for the local economy. We look forward to working closely with FirstGroup and MTR in the coming months and progressing discussions about bringing Spelthorne into Zone 6.”
Are You an Artist or Member of an Arts Group?
LOSRA has received the following email from Spelthorne Council:
Are you an artist living in Spelthorne or a member of an arts group? Whatever your interest in the arts; from dance, theatre and fine art to film-making and poetry, the Spelthorne Arts Forum has something for you.
Come along to see displays on recent projects and meet with other artists and arts organisations. Also find out about the funding and support that is available in Spelthorne and have your say on what is important to you.
To book your place please contact the Leisure Services team on 01784 446433 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Louise King
PR and Communications Officer
Spelthorne Borough Council,
Council Offices, Knowle Green, Staines-upon-Thames, TW18 1XB
Tel: 01784 444260
Cows Return to Sunbury Park on 18th April
Our Spring 2017 newsletter (scroll down to 3rd April) announced the return of cows to Sunbury Park. Since publication we have now been notified that the cattle will be arriving on 18th April.
Cows will naturally graze the more dominant grass species and in turn allow the less plentiful plants to establish. The Council and Friends of Sunbury Park are striving, on our behalf, to encourage increased levels of wild flowers onto the site which would aid pollinating insects such as bees and butterflies.
The Manor Players present Breaking the Code at the RAC, 20th - 22nd April
At Bletchley Park, home of Britain's best codebreakers, and it's leafy surrounding, Alan Turing was hard at work turning his extravagant theories into reality - no easy feat at the height of the Second World War. The young and brilliant mathematician created a machine, an elementary computer that would crack the German Enigma code and win Britain the war.
Following the triumphs of VE and VJ day, Alan lived briefly in Hampton, Middlesex (working for the National Physics Laboratory [NPL]) before he found a new role as a professor at Manchester University. Now his sights were set on a bigger goal – the development of the modern computer. This was a goal he would never fully achieve after being publicly humiliated and having his character destroyed by the press due to the uncovering of his sexuality and later guilty verdict for indecency.
Hugh Whitemore’s classic play intertwines an account of Turing's most heroic hour with the story of his betrayal and neglect by the nation he had helped in its darkest hour.
The Manor Players present Whitemore’s play, Breaking the Code at the Riverside Arts Centre, 59, Thames Street; 20th – 22nd April at 8pm. Tickets £10.
On Saturday the tickets will increase to £15 to include a special talk by Lady Nichola Turing, show ticket, drink and nibbles.
More...
Allotments now available
Announcement from the Council:
Want to grow your own fruit and vegetables? We have allotment plots available so get in touch if you are interested in renting one.
Contact us by email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 01784 451449.
Sunday Lunchtime Jazz at Sunbury Cricket Club
The final Sunday lunchtime jazz event of the winter at Sunbury Cricket Club is on Sunday 9th April, when the Club welcomes Equinox, a quartet led by drummer Stephane Booroff, who enjoys an eclectic musical life working with ‘70s pop band Edison Lighthouse, as well as appearing with jazz groups in various London venues, and is a regular at the Wednesday jazz shows at the Barley Mow, Shepperton.
With Stephane will be Nick Cooper (piano), an Erroll Garner stylist who has played with many well-known names at Ronnie Scott’s, Bull’s Head and all the top London venues, as well as on BBC Radio 2 jazz shows, and Steve Riddle (bass), who has played with the likes of Steve Waterman, Art Themen, Don Weller, Harry Beckett and Bill Le Sage to name a few, and who was in the jazz group which played for six months on the QE2 for its final voyages as well as on Queen Mary 2
The quartet also features special guest Duncan Eagles, a saxophonist who is a rising star of the jazz world and whose albums have received critical acclaim. Duncan leads his own band Partikel and is resident at London’s Hideaway club. A double-page spread was devoted to him and Partikel in the March edition of top UK jazz magazine Jazzwise. This is a great opportunity to see a leading and innovative personality on the contemporary British jazz scene,and there is a lot of interesting information and videos at www.duncaneagles.com.
The bar opens at 12 noon, a lunch menu is available from soon after that, and the music gets under way about 1.15pm. For further information contact Stephane Booroff at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Paul Watts at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Read the 2017 Spring Newsletter Here
Our Spring Newsletter is currently with the printers and will be distributed to households within the Lower Sunbury area during the next couple of weeks.
If you prefer not to wait for your hand-delivered copy you may read it here
Saxophonist Ruth Hammond in Tribute to Stan Getz with Terence Collie Trio at the RAC on 9th April
Ruth has appeared on TV’s ‘Later – with Jools Holland’, played a weeklong residency at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club (London, UK) and was interviewed on Radio 4’s “Woman’s Hour” as a representative of up and coming female musicians.
In this tribute to Stan Getz Ruth will be accompanied by Terence Collie, piano; Richard Sadler, bass; Mitch Perrins, drums.
Venue: The Riverside Arts Centre, 59 Thames Street TW16 5QF. Doors 7.30pm; tickets £12 on the night or £9 in advance through www.moodindigoevents.co.uk
The Shepperton Players Present The Odd Couple (Female Version) at the RAC, 6th - 8th April
“The Odd Couple is a play by Neil Simon. Following its premiere on Broadway in 1965, the characters were revived in a successful 1968 film and 1970s television series, as well as other derivative works and spin-offs. The plot concerns two mismatched roommates: the neat, uptight Felix Ungar and the slovenly, easy going Oscar Madison. Simon adapted the play in 1985 to feature a pair of female roommates (Florence Ungar and Olive Madison) in The Female Odd Couple.” - Wikipedia
There can’t be many people who don’t know of Neil Simon’s “The Odd Couple”. it is the quintessential US situational comedy written by one of America’s greatest comedy writers. In adapting the play for female protagonists and updating it to the 1980’s Simon had the opportunity to leave in what he had seen work and rework those bits that in 20yrs of performances he thought could be tightened up. What you are left with is a play that is both fresh and arguably better crafted than the original.
The Odd Couple – Female version will be prove to be an excellent nights’ entertainment for anyone.
Performance dates are: Thursday 6th, Friday 7th and Saturday 8th April. Tickets will be available £12 on the door or £10 in advance through www.sheppertonplayers.org.uk. Performances start at 8pm at the Riverside Arts Centre, 59, Thames Street, TW16 5QF.
Runnymede and Spelthorne Volunteer Awards - 30th May 2017
The following notice has been received from Spelthorne Council with a request for publication:
Runnymede and Spelthorne Volunteer Awards - 30th May 2017
We would like to honour and recognise the wonderful work done by volunteers. On 30th May 2017, from 6 to 8 pm, Voluntary Support North Surrey, Royal Holloway University of London, Runnymede Borough Council and Spelthorne Borough Council will be hosting a joint annual awards ceremony at the Royal Holloway, University of London. We are delighted that CHEP will be sponsoring this event.
Please take the time to nominate one or more of your valued volunteers for these awards. The award categories are:
- CHEP Award for Lifetime Achievement in Volunteering
- Inspirational Volunteer Award
- Individual Volunteer Achievement Award
- Voluntary Contribution to Older People’s Services Award
- Voluntary Contribution to Health Services Award
- Environmental Volunteer Award
- Young Volunteer Award (up to the age of 24)
- Best Volunteer Team Award
- Business Contribution to the Community Award
We have assembled knowledgeable representatives from our locality to form the judging panel. This will include Phil Simcock, Community Action Volunteer Manager at Royal Holloway University of London, Arthur Birkby, Chairman of Voluntary Support North Surrey, and representatives from CHEP and the Borough Councils.
To make your nominations please use our online form. On the form please provide details in 300 words or less about the person or team being nominated outlining the reasons why they have been outstanding as volunteers. The closing date for nominations is Wednesday 19th April 2017.
If you need help in nominating someone or completing the form, please contact the Voluntary Support North Surrey office on 01932 571122. Please feel free to forward this email to anyone in Runnymede and Spelthorne that may be interested in nominating a volunteer. Your support in this matter is very much appreciated.
The Barnes Blues Band Returns to the SCC on Friday 31st March
The next Music Night at Sunbury Cricket Club falls on Friday 31st March when the Club welcomes back the BARNES BLUES BAND who attracted a big audience the first time they played at the Club a while back. They are a band who do selected gigs, as they all have a variety of musical commitments, and we are guaranteed another stunning evening of high class blues and R&B from a group of seasoned professionals who have honed their skills in a variety of big name bands over the years.
The band is led by one of the great blues troubadours of the British club scene Papa George (guitar, vocals), and features Bobby Tench (guitar, vocals) whose illustrious background includes the Jeff Beck Group, Streetwalkers, Humble Pie, Van Morrison, Freddie King and Hummingbird, along with Peter Rees, formerly of Gary Moore’s band, on bass, and drummer Darby Todd, who you have seen at the Club performing with Buddy Whittington and Protect The Beat; and who plays regularly with Alan Price’s band and Hot Leg, the new band led by Justin Hawkins of The Darkness.
You can find out more at www.papageorge.co.uk, www.bobbytench.co.uk & www.darbytodd.com, and there are videos featuring all of them if you search under their individual names at www.youtube.com.
This will undoubtedly be an evening of absolutely first rate blues, and one not to be missed. Please note that the entry price for this event is £10.00 (it was inadvertently announced at £7.50 the first time it appeared on the Forthcoming Events listing). It was £10 the first time they came, and it would cost a good deal more if you went to one of the regular shows at The Bull’s Head, Barnes! Many apologies for any confusion. As usual, there will be food available. We look forward to seeing you there.
Minutes of the Patients' Participation Open Group Meeting of 27th February
If you were unable to attend the PPG Open Meeting at Sunbury Health Centre on 27th February you can keep up-to-date on the most recent developments at the Centre by reading the minutes here
