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.
Radio Wey to Broadcast Phantom of The Arts Centre
The play 'Phantom of The Arts Centre', has been specially adapted by local Playwright Geoff Buckingham for broadcasting at 5pm this Remembrance Sunday, 13th November. The play touches upon events in Sunbury during World War Two and there is an interview afterwards which mentions many of the local arts groups and organisations which use the building.
It can be listened to online, by logging on to www.radiowey.co.uk and then clicking on 'listen now'
It will also be broadcast to hospitals and nursing homes at St Peters and throughout the region. The more listeners the station gets, the more likely it is to support other locsl residents' events and organisations. To view the poster, click here.
River Thames Society, Talk by Ian Dow on 18th November
Former Engineering Manager with BBC TV Outside Broadcasts, Ian Dow, of Lower Sunbury, will be giving a talk on Friday, 18th November, 7.30pm at St Nicholas Parish hall, Church Square, Shepperton entitled ‘Lights, Camera, Action –oops!’ . The event is arranged by the River Thames Society and entrance costs £4 (members) and £5 (non-members).
For a man who has covered all the logistical problems of lighting, filming and sound for the Oxford Cambridge Boat Race, football matches, concerts, last night at the Proms, Animal Hospital the move of a lighthouse from the cliff edge for “Tomorrow’s World” and lightning early episodes of Dr Who, a calmer man would be hard to find.
BBC Sussex & BBC Surrey Awards – Community Heroes
The following email from the Managing Editor BBC Surrey has been received by LOSRA:
We are delighted to announce that on 15th December 2011, BBC Sussex and BBC Surrey will host its first awards ceremony to salute and celebrate the unsung heroes working in the local community. The award categories are as follows:
- Young person of courage or achievement - Awarded to anyone aged 18 or under, who has demonstrated courage or maturity beyond their years.
- Bravery - Someone who has demonstrated exceptional courage in the face of adversity.
- 999 - Presented to a member of the emergency services for commitment to their profession.
- Sport - Awarded to someone who has contributed to local sporting life, either playing a sport or acting as a referee or official.
- Good neighbour - Awarded to the person who goes out of their way to help their neighbours.
- Fundraiser/volunteer - Someone who has given up their time to raise funds for a charity or good cause.
- Local entrepreneur - Recognising an individual or company's contribution to supporting the local business community.
If you know of someone who you think deserves recognition for their hard work in Sussex, Surrey and North East Hampshire, then you can nominate them by completing and returning this form. Alternatively you can email your nominations to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Simply email your name and contact details, the name of your nominee and the award category together with the reason for your nomination in no more than 250 words. Individuals must be based in or resident within the BBC Sussex and BBC Surrey area and the deadline for nominations is midnight on 25 November.
Full terms and conditions are available at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-15429996.
We look forward to receiving your nominations.
Yours sincerely
Nicci Holliday
Managing Editor
Bogus doorstep selling
Spelthorne Council is warning local residents about door-to-door canvassers selling home insulation in the local area who are falsely claiming to work for the Council.
Letters were sent to residents throughout the summer months informing them about the Council’s home insulation schemes, run by Climate Energy, but no door-to-door calls were made.
Cllr Roberts Watts, Cabinet Member for Environment said: “The canvassers are knocking on doors claiming they work for Spelthorne Council. These people are not from the Council and they are trying to mislead and confuse residents by saying they are working with us. Residents should be very cautious if approached.”
Residents should also be aware that if they have signed up to have insulation supplied by one of these companies, the law gives them a seven day ‘cooling-off period’ during which they can cancel any contract over the value of £35, without penalty.
If residents are concerned or need more information they should contact Francesca Nesbitt at Spelthorne Council by calling 01784 446308 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Linden Homes Display Panels for Police College site
LOSRA has agreed to help Linden Homes to reach as wide an audience as possible in the public consultation over their development intentions for the Police College site in Green Street.
In case you were unable to make it to the exhibition on Tuesday, or if you would like to remind yourself of the design proposals which were featured, you may do so by clicking here.
Lower Sunbury Policing Update - October 2011
PC Caroline Barnes has sent her report for the month of October.
Click here to view October's report, or click here for a list of all Police reports
More...
St. Mary's Church Fair, 12th November
St. Mary's Church will be holding a fair on Saturday 12th November between 10am and 2pm to raise funds to repair the Church roof (or to buy a supply of buckets!).
The fair will feature all the usual favourite stalls, raffles, jewellery, toys, fairtrade goods. Hot and cold refreshments will also be available in the Parish Hall.
All are welcome to come and support the Parish in a project which is vital for the future of our Church.
Advertising Standards Authority Slams Eco Park Publicity
A profit-driven corporate giant has shown a disgraceful contempt for a community which was never expected to fight back. The 'Eco Park' Contractors, SITA, have been shamed by the Advertising Standards Authority for misleading Sunbury and Shepperton residents. If the Eco Park was such a fantastic and ground-breaking solution to our waste disposal problems, why did they try to deceive us by misrepresenting its environmental benefits? The illustrative drawings were misleading; the claim that it was a proven technology was untrue, as was their claim that the technology was operating successfully elsewhere.
The Campaign Group opposing the Eco Park (LOSRA, Charlton Village RA & Shepperton Against the Eco Park (SATEP)) has always contended that SITA UK, the contractors for the Eco Park at Charlton Lane had misrepresented the facility in their publicity literature and via the media. A complaint had been lodged with the Advertising Standards Authority and readers may remember that the findings of the ASA were appealed to The Independent Reviewer of ASA Adjudications, Sir Hayden Phillips (See article of 30th August).
As a consequence, the ASA has reviewed its original decision and its findings are summarised as follows:
The technology is not proven, as claimed by SITA. Shepperton would receive an untried, untested prototype gasification unit.
The reference sites that SITA claim are "operating successfully with emissions falling within predicted levels" has been ruled as misleading, unsubstantiated and also fail on environmental claims, as the quoted Dumfries site has suffered operational issues since inception and experiences emission breaches on an alarmingly regular basis.
Drawings used to illustrate the Development have also been deemed to be misleading, as the true scale of the buildings and height of the planned 49 metre stack were not accurately depicted.
Due to SITA's company policy of not holding large public meetings, the majority of their public consultation has been conducted through awareness-raising tools such as Newsletters, their website, media articles and other marketing materials. However, with this ASA ruling deeming SITA's publicity material to be flawed at a basic level, it must now be arguable that SITA's claims to have held satisfactory public consultations are themselves unsupportable. For Press Release, click here. For the ASA adjudication, click here.
Last chance to respond to Aggregates Recycling Proposals in Surrey Minerals Plan
Those of you who responded to earlier phases of the consultation on the proposasl in the Surrey Minerals Plan will have had details of how to view and respond to the proposals. The deadline for responses has been extended to 28th October 2011, so there is still time for you to get your views registered. This can be done via the on-line forms at www.surreycc.gov.uk/mineralsplan, or you can download Word versions of the forms and print them out to send by post.
LOSRA and SSAGE (Sunbury & Shepperton Against Gravel Extraction) have made their respective representations. The relevant parts of the proposals as far as Sunbury and Shepperton are concerned relate to proposals for a permanent Aggregates Recycling plant at Charlton Lane Recycling Centre (if the EcoPark does not go ahead) and a temporary Aggregates recycling plant at Watersplash Farm which would remain for the duration of gravel extraction works there, assuming that gravel extraction goes ahead at this site.
We are only allowed to comment on the legal compliance and soundness of the plans. You can read and download LOSRA’s submissions here – this may help you to make a submission without wading through the mountain of documentation which these consultations inevitably involve. The references B3 and B4 in the document refer to the relevant sections of the response form.
Next Music Night at Sunbury Cricket Club is Friday 28th October featuring The Mustangs
Top blues/rock band The Mustangs are appearing at the next Music Night at Sunbury Cricket Club on Friday 28th October from 8.30pm. The Mustangs, from S.E.London, are one of the most popular and successful bands on the Blues Festival circuit, but they are no ordinary blues. Featuring dynamic front man Adam Norsworthy, their high octane stage act comprises mainly original material, which they describe as “blues-inspired”.
Your correspondent has seen them recently at Maryport and Swanage Blues Festival and can vouch for the fact that they will deliver a great evening’s entertainment. They have just released their sixth CD – you can hear clips of their music on their web site at www.themustangs.co.uk. Attached is a flier for the event – please download it and forward it to any friends and associates who might be interested. Sunbury Cricket Club is in Lower Hampton Road TW16 5PS, admission £5.
Police College Sale; Public Exhibition of Development Plans
After their purchase of the Police Training College in Green Street, Linden homes are now consulting the public about the plans they have for the residential development of the Site. To this end, the Company will be holding a public exhibition at the Riverside Arts Centre, Thames Street on Tuesday 1st November, between 2.30pm and 7.30pm.
The latest plans will be on display and members of the project team will be on hand to answer questions and listen to comments and feedback.
The exhibition follows meetings which have already been held with neighbours and other 'stakeholders' including LOSRA.
Revised and Final Response to National Planning Policy Framework
We are very grateful to all those who took the time to read and comment upon our response to the National Planning Policy Framework (See article of 29th September). The draft was discussed at our monthly Committee meeting on 11th October and the final (suitably amended) response has today been dispatched to the Department for Communities and Local Government. The NPPF, which has implications for all neighbourhoods, has been the subject of a great deal of negative publicity in the national press over the past few weeks; and LOSRA's response reflects the serious anxieties which exist both within Lower Sunbury and nationwide .
Despite Appearances Flowerpot Pub Open for Business
Following the recent external re-decoration of the Magpie, it now seems that it is the turn of the Flowerpot to have a face lift. No food is being served at the moment but the 'locum' manager, Pat, wants to let locals know that the pub is open for business. He is concerned that the scaffolding outside the building may give the impression that the pub is not trading. Not so.
Pat is a temporary manager only and the new proprietor is expected to take over in about a month's time.
Designing Public Services in Surrey - Join the Debate
This is an extract from an email received by LOSRA from Surrey County Council and is self-explanatory. All residents are being invited to participate.
Dear Sir or Madam,
Surrey County Council is currently running an online debate around residents' involvement in the future of their public services. Social media and online tools are transforming the way that people engage with each other, with the companies they buy from and the services they use. We want to know if this offers Surrey County Council an opportunity to find innovative new ways to involve people in designing public services in Surrey?
Digital Surrey Week acted as a launch pad for a conversation about how we put local people at the heart of decision making. For the next 11 weeks, until Friday 2 December, we're asking people to take the opportunity to join the discussion and let us know how they think we can best involve people in the design and delivery of services.
Visit the www.surreyhaveyoursay.info to read the discussion paper and submit the feedback form or post a comment in the forum.
Please also send the details to anyone you think would like to have their say on involvement. All thoughts and ideas will be reviewed and considered in shaping our approach.
