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 2025 are now payable.
Council Warns Against Bonfires
The following notice regarding bonfires has been issued by the Council:
We are seeing a sharp rise in the number of complaints about garden bonfires.
Many people are having to stay at home due to the coronavirus (covid-19) (and this includes those who are working, those that do not or are unable to work and/ or those convalescing). This, along with the good weather is drawing people into their gardens. We therefore urge everyone to be considerate towards your neighbours, particularly during this difficult time.
We know that you will have more difficulty disposing of your garden waste at this time (normal refuse collections should not be impacted), but please do not have a bonfire - whether it be an open fire or an incinerator. Not only can it be a nuisance, it can cause distress to your neighbours particularly those suffering from respiratory and/or other medical problems. The smoke caused by a bonfire will make those problems worse.
Instead, if possible, please store what you can until things get back to normal and/or consider composting your waste.
Domestic, trade or building waste should not be burnt.
Any bonfires that the Council considers to be a Statutory Nuisance will be served with an abatement notice. Failure to comply with an abatement notice could result in prosecution and a fine of up to £5,000.
Further information about bonfires can be found here: https://www.spelthorne.gov.uk/
Covid19 and Cattle in Sunbury Park
The Friends of Sunbury Park (FoSP) have discussed with the Council the annual grazing of cattle in Sunbury Park and the impact this year of the Covid19 pandemic.
Both the Council and the grazier agreed that this year, the effects of the coronavirus meant that things would need to be a little different.
Based on the representations put forward by FoSP and others, in the spirit of compromise and maintenance of the council relationship with the grazier; and being seen to do the right thing by the users of Sunbury Park, the arrival of the cows would be delayed at least until the lockdown is over.
The situation will thereafter be revisited to assess whether any grazing is required or warranted for the rest of the season.
Support4Spelthorne up and running
The following notice has been published by Spelthorne Council and we are pleased to reproduce it here:
Our welfare operation, Support4Spelthorne, is fully functional as part of our emergency response to #coronavirus.
Protecting the most vulnerable is our number one priority. Council staff have been redeployed to ensure the elderly and at-risk groups are protected as well as supporting those who have been economically impacted by this global crisis.
We have made over 1,900 welfare calls to vulnerable residents so far and have identified a further 2,500 residents that may need our support which we expect will increase as the pandemic continues. We have been acting on information from these calls and making a local decision, delivering a food package or referring to who can help, within two hours. Our dedicated team have also been ensuring prescriptions are delivered where necessary.
We have created a storage facility for food and other essentials for the parcels to be produced and sent out to those who need it.
This is a seven-day-a-week operation, which will run for as long as it is required to support those who need it most in our community.
If you or someone you know needs this support, please contact Spelthorne Borough Council on 01784 446446 or email Covid19welfare@
#Support4Spelthorne #SpelthorneMeansBusiness #Localgovernment #CouncilsCan #covid19
Free parking announced for NHS and social care staff
The following email dated 26th March from Spelthorne Council has been received by LOSRA and we are pleased to reproduce it here:
NHS workers and social care staff are working tirelessly in the fight against Coronavirus and as a small gesture of appreciation, Spelthorne Council is offering these critical workers free parking in all its car parks until the end of April.
Cllr Richard Barratt, Portfolio Holder for Environment, said: "As a nation, we are all extremely proud of our NHS and social care workers who are currently having to work in the most difficult of conditions. They are on the front-line in the fight against Coronavirus and working around the clock to save lives and keep people safe during this awful pandemic. We are very grateful to them and hope this initiative will make their lives just a little bit easier."
"Additionally, we have also recently announced that we are giving over the use of one of our car parks to Ashford Hospital for exclusive use by their staff."
To apply for free parking, eligible staff should email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with their name, vehicle registration and proof of their employment, such as a copy of their staff ID pass.
Sunbury Matters April Edition - View online!
In light of the current situation and the uncertainty of being able to deliver Sunbury Matters as usual, Monica Chard, the Editor, has asked us to share the digital version on this Site. We are very pleased to oblige.
Council's Announcement on Waste and Recycling Arrangements
Spelthorne Borough Council would like to reassure residents that they will be doing everything they can in order to keep waste and recycling collection services as normal during the Coronavirus pandemic and can confirm that currently all collections are on schedule.
For more detailed information and the Communiity Recycling Centre, click here
More...
Be a positive part of your community
As an Association we cannot itemise every public event to have been cancelled during this difficult time. Nevertheless, we do encourage all of our readers to set up community groups within their particular localities if they have not already done so.
The elderly, especially if they are not tech-savvy, may be particularly vulnerable.
The Presiddent, Chairman and Committee wish all our readers good health now and in the difficult months ahead.
Bookings Now Being Taken for Amy's View at the Riverside Arts Centre, 2nd - 4th April
A deeply affecting play, with great one-liners and entertaining writing about the nature of reality.
In 1979 Esme is a middle-aged West End actress, and a successful one, although life is becoming increasingly difficult for those making a living on the stage. Despite the early death of her husband, life is sweet and she can rely on her own self-mocking wit and the devotion of her grown up daughter, Amy.
Esme is sufficiently financially privileged that she can write a cheque for £5,000 for Amy, pregnant by Dominic, a chippy, penniless would-be film-maker who thinks theatre is dead. The play follows the family over 16 years - a period in which a lot can change.
Amy's View mixes love, death and the theatre over the course of 16 years, in a way which is both heady and original. It is another great example of the cultural and political commentary David Hare is known for. Amy's View was first performed at the National Theatre, London, in June 1997, and transferred to the Aldwych Theatre in January 1998.
You can book your tickets now, details on the poster here
Putting Community Safety First - Consultation
Spelthorne Borough Council is launching a consultation for residents on Monday 9 March in order to find out how they feel about the work being undertaken by Surrey Police, Spelthorne's Community Safety Partnership and other local agencies to tackle crime and disorder.
Capture Spelthorne - Spelthorne Borough Council's Photography Competition, Is Now Open
The Council is offering a great opportunity for you to embrace the outdoors, explore our beautiful Borough and exhibit your photography skills.
The overall winner will see their photo as the cover for the Council's summer edition of the Bulletin Magazine and across their social media pages.
You don't need an expensive camera to take part, any camera or smartphone will do, as long as the photograph was taken in Spelthorne within the last two years and is submitted by the closing date for entries, 30th April 2020.
Annual Music Night at the SCC on Friday 13th March in Support of Mayor's Charities
The next Music Night at Sunbury Cricket Club is a special event, as the Club features its all-star house band THE CHAIN GANG performing in aid of the Mayor of Spelthorne’s Charities.
It’s become something of a tradition that the Club devotes one of its Music Nights to such an event every year, and they have proved extremely successful evenings, so they are delighted to be able to repeat the exercise this year. This year’s Mayor of Spelthorne is Cllr. Mary Madams, a Laleham & Shepperton Green councillor, who visited the Club for this year’s MCC lunch in Cricket Week. Once again the Club has assembled the usual suspects from the great and good of the local music fraternity who are regulars at the Club in a dozen-strong band to play under the name of The Chain Gang in honour of the Mayor’s chain of office.
The Mayor’s charities are Midas Plus, a local registered charity based in Staines-upon-Thames, run to help local people in need, raising and distributing funds for community groups and individuals (mainly in Spelthorne) who have nowhere else to turn, and Eikon: an award-winning charity which provides long-term support to some of the county's most vulnerable young people, with a vision is to develop happy, thriving and resilient young adults who make a positive contribution to society.
The musicians will be giving their services free, so all the door money will go to the charities, and there will also be a raffle. It will be a great night of top-class rock ‘n’ roll, blues, ‘60s R&B, rock and country. It’s all for a great cause and will be a fun community night, so it's hoped to see you there.
Please note that as guests of the Mayor will be coming from different parts of Surrey, the start of this show will be a bit earlier than usual, and the band will be on stage at 8.30pm. Food will be available as usual. It’s £10.00 on the door and doors open at 7pm.
Please also note that because repair work is being done to the area of car park adjoining the Clubhouse on the following day, Sat. 14th, that strip will be coned off to ensure it can be kept clear for the morning. It will be used during the evening for staff, the Mayor and her guests, and band members.
Green Belt defence fund announced at Council budget
The following Press Release from the Council has been received by LOSRA and we reproduce it here:
Spelthorne Borough Council has announced that it will be setting aside a special defence fund of £900,000 to enable it to challenge applications from developers wanting to build in the Green Belt.
The Council has always been fiercely protective of the Borough’s Green Belt and is known for taking a stance against aggressive developers looking to build on green spaces. As the planning process currently stands, whilst Spelthorne rules on Planning applications and can refuse those which affect the Green Belt, developers can appeal to the Planning Inspector. Fighting these appeals is not only lengthy, they can also be very expensive.
Thanks to the success of the Council’s investment strategy over the last four years, Spelthorne Borough Council is now in a stronger financial position and has generated a significant budget surplus which has enabled this defence fund to be established.
Leader of the Council, for the past four years, Cllr Ian Harvey said; “Pressing demands on our local authority budgets could lead to the question, where should parks and green spaces stand in the pecking order of priorities for this authority? We recognise how much green spaces contribute to the health and wellbeing of our community and the Council is determined to do everything it can to preserve parks and highly performing green belt areas open for future generations. Whilst we can’t stop developers from submitting applications, this fund will enable us to obtain the necessary advice and expertise to fight our case and give us the best chance of protecting our Green Belt for the future generations”.
You can view and respond to a planning applications on our Council Portal; here
To be emailed directly on any applications in your area, sign up to My Alerts here
Louise King
PR & Communications Officer
A Tribute to Michel Petrucciani Featuring Tommaso Starace at the RAC on 8th March
Born in 1975 in Milan, Tommaso started playing the saxophone and studying music at the age of 18. He moved to the United Kingdom in 1994 where he graduated at Birmingham Conservatoire with a Bmus first class honours and later at the Guildhall School Of Music and Drama with a Postgraduate Degree in jazz studies in the year 2000.
He has performed with some of the most respected jazz musicians including Billy Cobham, David Liebman, Kenny Wheeler, Stan Sulzmann, Jim Mullen, Jonathan Gee, Paolo Pellegatti, Gianni Giudici. In the year 2004 he collaborated with award winning oscar film composer Dario Marianelli ('Pride and Prejudice' and 'The Atonement') recording music for 'This Little Life', a BBC drama for Channel Four.
In 2008 Tommaso was awarded with an Honorary Membership by Birmingham Conservatoire given to him for his significant contributions made across the years within the various branches of the music profession.
He will be joined by the Terence Collie Trio at the Riverside Arts Centre on Sunday, 8th March at 7.45pm.
LOSRA Spring 2020 Newsletter
Our Spring Newsletter is currently at the printers and will shortly be distributed to all households in the Lower Sunbury area.
We face challenging times ahead and foremost of our concerns relate to the revision of the Local Plan and the possible cost implications of instructing counsel. It is for this reason, now that we are three months into our membership year, that we urge you to take this opportunity to join or renew your membership if you have not already done so. You can do this via the Home Page of the website or by completing the tear-off slip at the bottom of the newsletter by printing it off or on delivery of your hard copy.
Needless to say, donations are also welcome! All Committee members give their time completely free of any charge so you can be sure that all monies received will be spent in pursuing the aims and objectives of our Association including the protection of our Green Belt.
