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.
Valiant Sunbury Come up Short
Sunbury 197 ao (45 overs) Sandiacre Town 198-8 (44.3 Overs)
In an exciting match between two closely matched sides (see article of 4th September) Sunbury just failed to take the spoils when Sandiacre Town got over the line with three balls to spare.
In a fiercely competitive game with both sides matching each other on the batting front it was the bowling of Sandiacre's seamers on a greenish wicket against Sunbury's spinners that in the end turned the tide in favour of the Derbyshire outfit.
Sunbury's skipper, Olly Roland-Jones, and his team did Sunbury proud on that day and they were equally grateful for the tremendous support they received from the 150 or so supporters who made their way down to Bristol.
Update on Cattle Grazing in Sunbury Park
An update was received at the recent meeting of The Friends of Sunbury Park regarding the pilot project of cattle grazing in the Park as part of the grassland and biodiversity management programme. As those who have been through the Park will have seen, the fencing and gateways have been installed in preparation for the proposed implementation in the autumn.
However, there have been two complications:
- The kissing gates that were originally fitted did not allow for use by mobility scooters, and it turned out that the suppliers had sent gates of the wrong specification, so replacements are being awaited..
- Having got all the way to this stage, it now appears from a meeting that Spelthorne officers and FoSP Chairman Gerry Ceaser attended with the Surrey Wildlife Trust - who originally proposed the programme - that SWT have expressed concern about the fact that dogs run freely in the Park, despite that fact that this is coming from same people who surveyed the Park in the first place and made the original recommendation.
As a result, Spelthorne are having discussions with an alternative grazier to explore other options. Whatever the case, it is more or less certain that there will be no cattle in the Park until next Spring. It remains to be seen whether there is sufficient time or budget for the grass in the park to be mown during the autumn to avoid the rank grasses compacting down, which is what the grazing was intended to deal with.
Help pick the UK’s favourite park in online vote
A record breaking 1482 parks and green spaces this year received a Green Flag Award and Spelthorne Council is urging residents to vote for the Sunbury Walled Garden as ‘Park of the Year’.
The annual People's Choice Award is now open - giving the public the power to decide which one of the 1482 Green Flag Award sites should be named Park of the Year in an online vote.
To vote:
- Visit www.greenflagaward.org
- Select the South East region on the interactive map
- Search for Sunbury on Thames and click on the green flag for the Walled Garden
- Click the 'vote for this site' button
Paul Todd, Green Flag Award Scheme Manager, said: "Following a record breaking year for the Green Flag Award we are now asking the public to decide which of the 1482 parks and green spaces deserves the coveted People's Choice Award 2014.”
The vote will close at noon on 30 September and the winner of the 2014 People’s Choice will be announced on 16 October.
The Green Flag Award was first launched in 1996 to recognise and reward the UK’s best green spaces. It is the standard for parks and recognises well-managed, high-quality sites that meet the needs of the community.
Increase in Aircraft Noise over Lower Sunbury
Residents will have experienced an increase in aircraft noise in recent days and may wish to see this edited explanation from Heathrow:
Easterly trial
The trial that is affecting your area will finish on 26 January 2015. During the trial, instead of spreading tracks over a wide area, aircraft following more precise routes. The height or number of aircraft using each route is not affected. For people living under these routes it’s likely you’ll experience a concentration of aircraft during periods that these particular routes are being used. They’ll also be people that have less aircraft over them.
These are just temporary changes and when the trial finishes in January, flight paths will return to usual flight patterns.
There is more information about the trial on our website here http://www.heathrowairport.com/noise/airspace-modernisation
Since last year, Heathrow has been liaising about the trials with local authorities around Heathrow as well as noise pressure group HACAN and will continue to have an on-going dialogue with them throughout this process. Now that the trials have started, feedback from residents affected by the changes will be important in shaping the future design of airspace around Heathrow.
If you wish to register a complaint, write to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. You may get the standard reply but the more complaints the better informed the 'trial' will be.
Trading Standards Alert
Action Fraud report that their contact centre has received hundreds of calls about scam emails arriving in victims’ inboxes that are likely to contain malware.
All the examples that have been reported use spoofed emails addresses in order to appear legitimate.
They are designed to play on your curiosity and get you to download the attachment which is likely to contain malware. It appears the scammers are changing the company name, date, order number and times whilst spamming out these emails.
Three legitimate businesses whose company names have been used as part of the scam said that these are not associated with them in any way.
Example scam email
From: Cory Ramdas sale@design[email redacted].co.uk
Subject: Order no. 18562525232
Thank you for using our services!
Your order #18562525232 will be shipped on 04-09-2014.
Date: September 03, 2014. 12:26pm
Price: £155.28
Payment method: Credit card
Transaction number: 7309E4BDE683E0
Please find the detailed information on your purchase in the attached file (order_2014-09-04_11-43-50_18562525232.arj)
Best regards,
Sales Department
Cory Ramdas
+07644 [number redacted]
It is important to remember that this is a scam email - your credit/debit card will most likely not have been charged.
If you receive one of these emails, do not open or download the attachment, delete it and report it to Action Fraud. If you have opened the attachment then call them on 0300 123 2040
Spelthorne voters urged to complete IER
Following recent changes in the way you register to vote, Spelthorne residents are being urged to complete their online electoral registration if they received notification that they need to do so.
Under the previous system, one person in every household was responsible for registering everyone who lived at that address. With the introduction of Individual Electoral Registration (IER), each person is now required to register to vote individually, helping to tackle electoral fraud and improve confidence in the Electoral Register.
All electors in Spelthorne have recently been sent a letter explaining the changes. The majority of residents have been advised in the letter that they have been automatically added to the new system and that they do not need to take any action.
However, anyone who received a letter telling them they were not transferred to the new system needs to visit www.gov.uk/register-to-vote to register to vote. Please register by the date shown on your letter. Registering takes just five minutes. If you don’t have internet access, call Electoral Services on 01784 444218.
If you didn’t receive a letter or have problems completing the online form, please email Electoral Services at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 01784 444218.
More...
A Reminder of Spelthorne Together on Friday 19th September
Further to the article published on this Site on 6th August, this is a reminder of the Spelthorne Together annual event at Kempton Park on Friday 19th September from 9.30am to 1.30pm. In addition to the Market Place dedicated to spreading the word on Council and voluntary sector services, the Business Secretary, Vince Cable will be speaking. Most significantly for Sunbury residents, SATEP (Spelthorne Against the Eco Park) will have a stand with information on the fight against the "Eco" Park no one else in Surrey wanted. Healthwatch Surrey will also be there to collect direct local input on Primary and Secondary health care for the Government. For more details, click here: http://www.spelweb.com/
Can You Help a Local Student with her Research?
A local student at the Geography Department of Durham University is undertaking her dissertation on food quality and has asked LOSRA if we can help at the data collation stage.
She requires a short anonymous survey to be completed with the more data, the better.
She is particularly interested, though not exclusively, in responses for the over 65s. If you would like to help this student, please click here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MMY2MMB
Sunbury Cricket Club is Calling on All Supporters
The Royal London Club Championship - National Final - Sunbury CC v Sandiacre Town CC
Following the Club's fabulous win on Sunday against Brentwood CC (scorecard here) in the National Knockout Cup we have reached the final. Our opponents are Sandiacre Town CC from Derbyshire.
The match is being held on the Gloucestershire county ground in Bristol on Sunday week, 14th September. The start is at 11:00am.
We should like to enable as many members and supporters as possible to attend the match to support the Club and are therefore arranging a supporters' coach - or coaches.
It is a journey of approximately two hours and 30 minutes with a stop midway, and we need to make some allowance for any hold ups
The coach(es) will be ready for boarding at the Club by 7:30am and, after allowing for any stragglers and last minute adjustments to clothing, it will depart at 7:45am precisely.
To Book The Coach:
Contact Tony Schaffer by Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Bookings Taken Now. Final numbers needed this Sunday evening 7th September.
Approximately £20 per person
The Kempton Park Plot That Just Won't Go Away
Readers of this Site may also have received our local magazine, Sunbury Matters but for those who haven't, LOSRA contributed the following article for the August edition: click here
The September edition featured a reply from one of our local County and Borough Councillors, Tim Evans: click here
In normal circumstances this exchange of views would have been the end of the matter but, regrettably in this case, to say nothing would be to signify acceptance, and it gives us no pleasure in having to publish a robust evidence-based rebuttal.
Day by day, week by week, the narrative has gathered momentum; one by one, the jigsaw pieces have fallen into place. They make a picture. Accordingly, LOSRA's Vice Chairman with the support of our Committee penned the following reply to Cllr. Evans's September article: click here
Cllr. Evans replied as follows: click here
Readers are asked to make up their own minds as to the merits of our respective positions. You may also wish to keep up to date via the KKG button on the top of the Home Page.
Spelthorne raises more objections to Eco Park proposal
Spelthorne Borough Council has raised further objections to the Eco Park proposal at Shepperton.
Surrey County Council will make a decision at its Planning and Regulatory Committee on 24 September on 46 changes its contractor, SITA, wants to make. However, it has been required to consult again on whether further issues have arisen.
Spelthorne Council has presented new information as part of the consultation. This includes recently published research from Public Health England on the impact of particulate air pollution, highlights from Surrey’s report on traffic congestion, the Council’s latest air quality monitoring results and the implications of the site being in a designated Smoke Control zone.
Cllr Vivienne Leighton, Cabinet Member for Planning, said: “This is yet another step in a long and protracted saga in which Surrey County Council and SITA are seeking to plague the lives of residents in Shepperton, Sunbury, Charlton Village and Upper Halliford. We have taken and will continue to take all reasonable steps to stand up for our residents and prevent this monstrous and unwelcome proposal.”
Cllr Richard Smith-Ainsley, ward councillor for Laleham and Shepperton Green, added: "This is a good example of local councillors working with their residents for the benefit of the community."
Free entry to the Council's Leisure Directory 2015
Spelthorne Council is currently compiling the 2015 Leisure Directory which contains information on sporting and other active lifestyle activities, social clubs and organisations, play and youth activities. The Leisure Directory is available from leisure centres and libraries as well as online at www.spelthorne.gov.uk/leisuredirectory
Entry into the Leisure Directory is free. If you run a club, play session, group or youth activity and would like to be included then please let us have your details. Simply complete the online form at http://www.spelthorne.gov.uk/leisuredirectory or call Leisure Services on 01784 446433.
The deadline for receipt of entries is Friday 3 October 2014.
Mick Underwood's Glory Road Comes to Sunbury CC, 5th September
Sunbury Cricket Club kicks off the Autumn/Winter music nights on Friday 5th September with MICK UNDERWOOD’S GLORY ROAD, and an evening of high class rock to get things going with a bang.
Mick is one of great drummers in British rock, whose career goes back more than half a century to his days with The Outlaws in the early ‘60s alongside future Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore and Chas Hodges, later of Chas & Dave. Apart from making records in their own right, they were the house band at the Holloway Road studios of legendary innovative producer Joe Meek, playing on dozens of his productions including hits like Heinz “Just Like Eddie”.
The Club is absolutely delighted to be able to welcome an artist of Mick’s stature to Sunbury, and we can guarantee a rousing night of quality rock to kick of the season. There’s more information about the band at www.mickunderwoodsgloryroad.com and we also urge you to have a look at Mick’s own website at www.mickunderwood.com, where there is a comprehensive biography, and full listings of his own discography and sessions he has played on – it makes for fascinating reading.
Our June’s Wedding - Celebratory Theatre Comes to Lower Sunbury
Spelthorne Council is bringing an exciting and free piece of celebratory theatre to Lower Sunbury for one day only, on Saturday 6 September, 2pm. Our June’s Wedding is a play about family, celebration, love and tradition (with time travel... and cake!).
Set amongst the pomp and ceremony of an English wedding in the Surrey Countryside, we meet our characters ... Richard the nervous groom, Hilary his formidable mother, Peter the proud father of the bride, and of course June, our blushing bride-to-be. But Our June’s Wedding is a little bit different as the wedding guests are the audience, making this a very special experience for all who come along. The play is suitable for all ages, lasts about 45 minutes and there’s no need to book.
Please note that the play moves from location to location and the audience with it - starting at the Riverside Arts Centre, 59 Thames Street and finishing at the Walled Garden which is a five minute walk away.
The play has been created, developed and presented by theatre company Theatre Exchange with funding from National Lottery through Arts Council England, Grants for the Arts, Arts Partnership Surrey and Farnham Maltings.
Family Craft workshop
In preparation for the performance the Council is running a free family craft workshop on Thursday 4 September at Riverside Arts Centre, 3.30 – 6.30pm. All ages are welcome. Spaces are limited so to book your place or find out more information please contact Leisure Services on 01784 446433 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
