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.
We would like to remind all residents of a few simple steps to prevent burglary and protect your home
Criminals look for a number of signs to detect an empty home. How can you protect your property from intruders?
There are a variety of ways to make your home more secure for the future. While some security measures can be expensive, there are other things you can do that cost much less:
Call 999 if you or someone else is in immediate danger, or if the crime is happening right now.
To report non-emergency crime:
Online - Visit report.police.uk
TextPhone - 18000
Report anonymously - CrimeStoppers are an independent charity helping to find criminals and help solve crimes. They run an anonymous 0800 555 111 phone number that you can call to pass on information about crime. Alternatively people can pass them information anonymously via their website https://crimestoppers-uk.org/
The next Music Night at Sunbury Cricket Club on Friday 4th August is a very special occasion as it marks the welcome return of the brilliant Texan blues guitarist, singer, harmonica player and songwriter HAMILTON LOOMIS, who visited the Club five years ago - this is first time since then that we have been able to secure a gig on his annual UK tour.
Hamilton was a protégé of the legendary blues artist Bo Diddley and appeared on stage with him as well as performing on his albums. He is a sensational performer, and his ‘live’ show is something to behold.
Guitar Player magazine wrote if him: “If blues, soul, and rock can be said to form a triangle, you’ll find Hamilton Loomis right in the centre of it.”, and he is one of the young artists at the forefront of bringing blues-based American music into the 21st century and redefining it for a contemporary audience.
His album “Ain’t Just Temporary” reached No. 7 in Billboard’s Blues Chart. His band features Armando Aussenac (drums, background vocals) and Fabian Hernandez (saxes, keyboards, background vocals). It will be a stunning evening.
There’s full information about him at www.hamiltonloomis.com and loads of ‘live’ videos on www.youtube.com
Tickets are £10.00 and are available in advance from the Cricket Club bar or contact Paul Watts at the e-mail address below.
For more info e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 07976 334482
Sunbury Cricket Club, Lower Hampton Rd. Sunbury TW16 5PS
Following the recent news item on a failed parking company at Gatwick Airport you may find the following tips useful for ensuring secure airport parking:
Shepperton named UK’s most courteous town
It’s official, Shepperton townsfolk are the politest people in the country.
Officials from the National Campaign for Courtesy have announced Shepperton as ‘Top Town for 2017’ after scouring the country for towns which demonstrate the charity’s commitment to good manners, respect for others, courtesy to all and rejection of anti-social behaviour.
Established in 1986, the National Campaign for Courtesy works to encourage us all to be more friendly, considerate and respectful of each other and our environment. Previous award winners include Skipton, Epsom, Shrewsbury and Ilfracombe.
Local councillor Cllr Robin Sider BEM who nominated Shepperton for the award explained why he thought the town deserved to be recognised: “When I made the nomination I submitted everything I knew about Shepperton, it ambience and its community, and how friendly and courteous all our shopkeepers are. You can imagine how thrilled I am about this; it reflects everything that is good about our shops, our residents, our history, our Village Fair and Big Tree Night, not to mention the welcome everyone receives when visiting Shepperton.”
The Top Town award will be presented at a ceremony in October.
For more details about the National Campaign for Courtesy visit www.campaignforcourtesy.org.uk
Spelthorne Borough Council is delighted to announce that the Sunbury Walled Garden and Sunbury Park have been awarded Green Flag status.
The parks are among a record-breaking 1,797 UK parks and green spaces to receive the prestigious Green Flag Award – the mark of a quality park or green space. This international award, now into its third decade, is a sign to the public that the space boasts the highest possible environmental standards, is beautifully maintained and has excellent visitor facilities.
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. Free music concerts are being held in the Walled Garden during July and August – visit www.spelthorne.gov.uk/music for details.
The following email from Glynis McDonald, NHS North West Surrey Clinical Commissionaing Group, has been received by LOSRA and is published here for the information of residents:
We would really appreciate your help in cascading the following information wherever relevant following the Weybridge fire:
A helpline has been set up: 0203 297 7252
For specific queries relating to community services provided by CSH: Surrey please email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Our latest media statements giving further information, particularly for information relating to the two GP practices who were based in Weybridge can also be found here: http://www.nwsurreyccg.nhs.uk/Pages/default.aspx
Latest updates can also be followed via our Twitter feed: @NWSurreyCCG
The following self-explanatory email from Surrey Highways has been received by LOSRA:
Dear Sir / Madam,
The Highways Customer Panel survey for July 2017 is now available for you to complete.
Please follow this link Customer Panel survey to access the survey and follow the on screen instructions to take you through the process. The survey will run until 15th August 2017.
Your responses will be collated into a report which will be published on the Highways Customer Panel web pages by the end of September 2017.
We would like to thank you for taking the time to complete the survey, we look forward to reviewing your responses.
Kind regards,
Clare Johnson
Surrey Highways
Tel: 0300 200 1003
The following self-explanatory letter inviting the attendance of residents at the Overview and Scrutiny Committee has been received by LOSRA. It will be noted that pre-submitted written questions, which must be submitted by 21st July, are invited.
Please reply to:
Contact: Gillian Hobbs
Service: Committee Services
Direct line: 01784 444243
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Our ref: OS/31/7
Date: 13 July 2017
Dear Sir/Madam,
Extraordinary Overview and Scrutiny Committee – 31 July 2017
Surrey County Council’s proposals for changes to Community recycling centres and their wider implications for the Borough
In response to concerns from the public about Surrey County Council’s consultation on proposed changes to Community recycling centres, Spelthorne Borough Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee has arranged an Extraordinary meeting to discuss those changes and the wider implications for the Borough.
Residents and interested parties from the local area are invited to attend this Committee meeting being held at 7.30 p.m on Monday 31 July 2017 in the Council Chamber, Spelthorne Borough Council Offices, Knowle Green, Staines-upon-Thames.
Members of the public are invited to observe the Committee meeting and at the discretion of the Chairman may be invited to ask questions. These should be sent to me by email or letter in advance of the meeting, and in any case by Friday 21 July 2017. Whilst the Chairman may invite you to put your question at the meeting, no-one will be called on to comment who has not submitted their question in advance.
The meeting will be chaired by Councillor Colin Davis from Spelthorne Borough Council. Representatives of Surrey County Council have been invited to attend.
Yours sincerely
Mrs Gillian Hobbs, Principal Committee Manager
The Sunbury Health Centre group practice 2017 summer newsletter has just been published and may be viewed by clicking here
The oak processionary moth is a risk to human health. The larvae (caterpillars) are covered in irritating hairs that contain a toxin and contact with these hairs, or their inhalation, can result in skin irritation and allergic reactions. These problems are significant because the moth is often most abundant on urban trees, along forest edges and in amenity woodlands. Oak processionary moth is a native species of central and southern Europe, where it is widely distributed, but its range has been expanding northwards, presumably in response to climate change. It is now firmly established in northern France and the Netherlands, and has been reported from southern Sweden. More recently, colonies of larvae have been found in parts of London.
Their hairs can cause unpleasant skin, eye and throat irritations in people and animals.
You can help the Forrestry Commission control this pest so we can all continue to safely enjoy our parks and woodlands.
Please tell the Forrestry Commission if you see:
Remember to:
Nests or caterpillars in other trees are unlikely to be OPM and do not need to be reported.
Report OPM with Tree Alert at forestry.gov.uk/opm or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 0300 067 4442
For the latest information from Suez on the ‘Eco Park’ development, click here
SUMMER BBQ PLEASE COME ALONG AND SUPPORT OUR SUMMER BBQ - SATURDAY 15th JULY
FOOD: 6:00pm - 9:00pm
LIVE MUSIC: 8:30pm
TICKETS: £10 PER HEAD (£6 for U14s) - available from The Bar, Dave Smith, Karl Burgess
At our AGM on 21st June we were very fortunate to have welcomed from the Environment Agency, Justine Glynn, Community Resilience Advisor, and Emma Booth, a chartered civil engineer who gave us an up-to-date presentation on the River Thames Scheme and its likely effect on the Lower Sunbury area. Justine offered to make available a copy of the slides that she and Emma used for the presentation.
The next Music Night falls on Friday 7th July when the Cricket Club welcomes BIG STEAM. Most of the members of Big Steam are familiar faces at the Club as they were formerly in The Others, the R&B band which was formed at Hampton Grammar School in the 60s, and were signed to the Fontana label, also taking over as the house band at Richmond’s Crawdaddy Club in the wake of the Rolling Stones and Yardbirds. They re-formed a few years ago and have done some excellent gigs at the Club.
They have undergone one or two changes over the last year or so, the main one being the addition of another former Hampton School contemporary, lead guitarist and singer Tim Staffel, who boasts a fascinating musical heritage, in that he was a member of the group Smile, the first group formed by Brian May of Queen when he was at Imperial College, with Roger Taylor, and which recorded briefly for the Mercury label. It was Tim who introduced Freddie Mercury to the band before he left to join Humpy Bong, although one of Tim’s songs, co-written with Brian, was on Queen’s first album.
As a result of Tim’s arrival, the musical profile has broadened from its hard-edged R&B base to include some original material, and having made their debut at last summer’s Ealing Blues Festival, they had done a couple of mini-tours in Europe in the last couple of months, so it promises to be an interesting and entertaining evening.
Food will be available as usual, and tickets for next month’s Hamilton Loomis gig will be on sale.