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.
Sunday Summer Concerts in the Walled Garden
Come and enjoy a free afternoon of music in the beautiful surroundings of the walled garden, Thames Street.
Performances are free and will be held between 3pm - 5pm. a limited number of chairs are available but you are advised to bring your own to avoid disappointment.
| Date | Performer |
| Sunday 5 June | Linden Wind Orchestra |
| Sunday 19 June | Saxophony |
| Sunday 26 June | Magna Carta Chorus (3pm) / Ivor Game (4pm) |
| Sunday 3 July | Staines Lammas Band |
| Sunday 10 July | Staines Lammas Band |
| Sunday 17 July | Jake Fryer and All That Jazz |
| Sunday 24 July | Sing Spelthorne |
| Sunday 31 July | The Cobham Band |
| Sunday 14 August | Saxophony |
| Sunday 28 August | Jake Fryer and All That Jazz |
One off 2020 Cricket Match - Sunbury CC v. Middlesex County CC Next Friday Evening
Sunbury Cricket Club take on the mighty Middlesex County CC at a one off 2020 game of cricket on Friday 20th May at 4.30pm.
Come along with family, friends or work colleagues to watch electric T20 cricket at its very best.
Players on show will include club, county and international stars which promises to be a great opportunity to see the modern game played up close.
Bar and BBQ will be open.
Sunbury Skiff and Punting Club 5th Annual 6k Head - doubles marathon
The Sunbury Skiff and Punting Club will be hosting their fifth annual Marathon event on Saturday, the 21st May at the Phoenix in Sunbury. The first year Sunbury could not enter as the Club had no boats. 5 years on they have 5 race skiffs. This is an inter-club event and will include competitors from all the skiff clubs along the Thames and includes a doubles event where you will be able to see racers of all ages from 18 up to the veterans (with minimum combined age of 123). The course is six kilometers in length starting from the Phoenix when racers will row downstream towards Hampton and before turning at Platts Eyot to come back and finish at the Phoenix.
The racing starts at 10am with refreshments available from 9am including snacks and cakes available all morning in the Garden prior to the main bar opening in the pub. There will a raffle with some fantastic prizes kindly donated by the Phoenix management. Prizes include Bed and Breakfast for two at the Flower Pot, a meal for four in their New Thai Restaurant, and a lovely bottle of Champagne. All welcome to come along and support your local club, enjoy a Saturday morning by the river find out more about skiffing or just enjoy tea and cake by the river.
Sunbury Skiff and Punting club are a friendly club which came into existence in 2010 by their founding members who believed that Sunbury should have a skiff and punting club to participate in the Sunbury Amateur Regatta, inaugurated in 1877. The club now regularly participates in all events organised by the SRA. The objectives of the club are to teach, coach and promote skiffing and punting in traditional Thames skiffs and punts. The club continues to improve and expand its facilities and membership, welcoming all ages and abilities of rower and potential rowers. New members always welcome.
Email Us ... This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Call Us ... 07973 814 552
To see more about the club and members take a look at our website http://www.sunburyskiff.club/ or facebook page: sunburyskiffandpuntingclub.
Application for 16 New Houses on Fordbridge Road Green Belt Refused
Readers will recall that LOSRA objected to the development of the old nurseries site in Fordbridge Road (see article of 16th February). We are pleased to report that the Local Planning Authority has now refused the application for the reasons listed below. These very robust and comprehensive reasons for refusal do not, of course, rule out the possibility of an appeal by the developers to the Secretary of State. We shall see.
1. The proposal represents inappropriate development in the Green Belt for which no very special circumstances have been demonstrated. It will result in the site having a more urban character, will diminish the openness and harm the visual amenities of the Green Belt, and conflict with the purposes of including land within it. It is therefore contrary to Policy GB1 of the Spelthorne Borough Local Plan 2001and Section 9 (Protecting Green Belt Land) of the Government's National Planning Policy Framework 2012.
2. The site lies within Flood Zone 3a/3b defined by the Planning Practice Guidance to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) as having a high probability of flooding. The proposed development will result in a loss of flood plain storage within the 1 in 100 with an appropriate allowance for climate change flood extent. In addition, the applicant has failed to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Local Planning Authority that an acceptable Sustainable Drainage Scheme can be achieved on the site. The proposed development will therefore increase the risk of flooding both on-site and elsewhere which is contrary to Policy LO1 of the Core Strategy and Policies DPD 2009, the Supplementary Planning Document on Flooding 2012 and Section 10 of the NPPF.
3. The site is in an unsustainable location where future residents of the proposed development would have to rely on private motorised forms of transport in order to reach education, employment, leisure and retail land uses due to the distance that a good range of these land uses are from the site and because of the inadequate street lighting and footway between the site and the nearest public transport, contrary to Policy CC2 of the Core Strategy and Policies DPD, 2009 an the NPPF, 2012.
4. Insufficient ecological surveys have been submitted with the application and it is not therefore possible to ascertain the full impact of the proposal on any protected species. The proposal is therefore contrary to Circular 06/2005, Policy EN8 of the Council's Core Strategy and Policies DPD, 2009 and Section 11 of the NPPF.
5. The proposal involves the creation of more than 15 residential units and only 4 affordable units are to be provided in the scheme. The applicant has failed to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Local Planning Authority that it is not financially viable to provide a greater proportion of affordable housing on the site. The development is therefore contrary to Policy HO3 of the Core Strategy and Policies DPD, 2009.
6. The proposal fails to provide an adequate provision of smaller sized dwellings (one or two bedroom units) of which there is a shortage within the Borough. It therefore does not comply with Policy HO4 of the Spelthorne Development Plan Core Strategy and Policies DPD, 2009 and the Supplementary Planning Document on Housing Size and Type, 2012.
Sunbury Cricket Club Appeals for Help
The following self-explanatory email from SCC has been received by LOSRA:
We are large and busy Club and need support.
Please feel free to circulate this email to family and friends who may be interested in any of the roles below.
Do you Want to Score? - Training Given
We need more scorers for both Saturday and Sunday XIs for matches of all standards. Adults and teenagers, male and female, are all welcome to volunteer. Training will be given and if you are sufficiently proficient and wish to progress to scoring on a laptop for the higher XIs the Club will pay for a licence for Total Cricket Scorer on your laptop.
If you would like to know more please contact our Hon Secretary Karl Burgess at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Cleaner Required
The relationship with our cleaner has recently come to an end and we are looking for another person to fulfil the role. This is paid employment which in the summer could offer up to £50 per week (before tax) and less than this during the winter.
The job has been advertised on Gumtree here. Members are welcome to contact Peter Browne direct.
Are You a Professional Planner?
We are looking for a member who might be in private practice or with a local authority? If you fit this description we should like to hear from you to provide some informal advice at a preliminary stage about a development we have in mind within the clubhouse complex.
If you think you can help please contact our Hon Secretary Karl Burgess at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Opera Holloway Brings Donizetti's 'Don Pasquale' to the RAC on 25th May
Opera Holloway's production of Donizetti's 'Don Pasquale' will be performed at the Riverside Arts Centre on Wednesday the 25th May.
The story of Don Pasquale revolves around a classic comedic premise: a young couple in love schemes to thwart the inappropriate plans of a pompous old man, who wants to marry the girl himself. What makes the opera notable within this familiar genre is its emphasis on genuine human emotion. Donizetti’s score is graceful and effervescent, as one would expect from this master of melody, but adds an additional level of sophistication to match the comic (yet insightful) proceedings.
More...
Quartet Pro Musica Concert at Riverside Arts Centre on 28th May
Quartet Pro Musica, one of the country’s longest established string quartets, returns to the Riverside Arts Centre, Thames Street, on Saturday May 28th at 7.30pm for a concert that will showcase three chamber music masterpieces from the 18th, 19th and 20th century.
The concert opens with Haydn’s String Quartet, Op. 64 No. 5 in D major “Lark’, first performed in England and arguably the most popular of Haydn’s eighty-three string quartets, a perfect representative of the entire genre, and aptly described by Paul Epstein as “a story, a song, a dance and a party”.
This is followed by the exotic, Iberian themed Turina String Quartet Op. 34, La Oración del Torero, a beautiful work full of shimmering atmosphere, bravado and passion.
After the interval, the concert closes with Schubert’s magnificent String Quartet No. 14 in D minor of 1824, posthumously titled ‘Death and the Maiden’ after the lied of the same name which influences the second movement. The D minor quartet stands as Schubert’s greatest quartet, an emotional tour de force, and among the finest in the entire quartet literature.
Quartet Pro Musica was formed in 1955 by its original and current leader, Patrick Halling. Over the years the quartet has been involved in highly acclaimed recordings for the BBC, and has played in all the leading venues in the country. The current members, Patrick Halling (violin), Keith Lewis (violin), Ariane Alexander (viola) and Myrtle Bruce-Mitford (cello), only the fourth line-up since 1955, continue this fine tradition of excellence in chamber music, as they perform and record a wide repertoire from the classical, romantic and modern eras.
Tickets for reserved seats for the concert can be bought on line at: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/quartetpromusica
Unreserved seat tickets can be bought at the door.
£12.50 single ticket; £5 student; £40 group of 4 ticket.
For further information, please contact the Secretary, Quartet Pro Musica, via:
Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Phone 07879 474 870
Sunbury Embroidery Gallery - Experimental Drawing Day on Saturday, 28th May
A day to relax and practice techniques and methods you may not have tried before in this one day experimental drawing class with artist, Stuart Simler.
The day will consist of drawing outside capturing the landscape, if the weather permits; and in the gallery tackling portraits and being sensory using a variety of wet and dry and water based materials.
Saturday 28th May, 10am - 3pm; £45.00 inc materials. To book, call: 01932 788101 or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Club Favourites, The 60s All Stars Return to the SCC on 13th May
The next Music Night at Sunbury Cricket Club falls on Friday 13th May, when the Club welcomes back one of Sunbury's most popular bands, THE 60s ALL STARS, who played at our very first Music Night five years ago in 2011, and have been back every year since then.
The band will need very little introduction to many of us, featuring Mick Avory, the original drummer from the Kinks, guitarist Alan Lovell, who is still playing with the Swinging Blue Jeans, bass guitarist John Dee from The Foundations, and guitarist Del Mandel, who was with Crispian St. Peters and also played with George Harrison’s band.
They are one of the very best of the ‘60s revival bands on the circuit, and guarantee a hugely entertaining evening of wall-to-wall beat era classics as they draw on their amazing repertoire. Food will be available as usual from about 7pm.
Redrow Outline the Options for Development of Kempton Park
The public information day at Kempton Park went ahead as planned and it's clear that Redrow, the prospective developers, are in for the long haul. We can expect the Company to use its considerable resources to influence the local plan, currently undergoing revision, to include Kempton Park green belt for residential development.
David Cameron and George Osborne wrote in The Times last July: "We will always protect the green belt and make sure planning decisions are made by local people." This statement followed the Conservative manifesto which promised four times to protect the green belt. In addition, the Leader of our Council, Cllr. Ian Harvey has made his views very plain (see article of 25th April below) so you would be justified in thinking that the Kempton Park project appears to be a non-starter.
However, LOSRA is not given to speculative leaps as, despite these promises, there is ample precedent for developments on green belt land throughout the UK. The law is opaque at best (perhaps deliberately so) and only last month, Greg Clark, the Communities Secretary, approved 1,500 new homes between Gloucester and Cheltenham, with the reason that the need for housing outweighed the need to protect the green belt.
What is certain, therefore, is that the Redrow project at Kempton Park is not going to crumble under the weight of local opposition; but, with the combined opposition of our local authority and its residents, we should have a fighting chance in protecting this valuable local asset and preventing the inevitable traffic congestion in a Borough already designated as an Air Quality Management Area.
If you were unable to attend the public information day on 23rd April you can to see the information banners provided by Redrow at the event by clicking here:
Hawkedale May Fair - Saturday 14th May, 2pm - 5pm
Hawkedale Infant School warmly invites you to come and join in the fun and support your local school.
There will be entertainment from Franco the Magician, toys and treats, craft activities, cakes, raffle, bouncy castle, local traders and tombolas along with fantastic food and a licensed bar.
There will also be games for the whole family to enjoy. Admission £1 for adults & 50p for over 3's.
The School looks forward to seeing you there.
New Council Leader Pulls no Punches on Kempton Park Development
We don't know whether the new Council Leader, Cllr. Ian Harvey, was able to make it to the Redrow event at Kempton Park on Saturday (see article of 12th April below) but he has made his views very plain in an open letter to the developers, Redrow, which has been forwarded to LOSRA for publication.
Spelthorne Council Announces Re-structuring of Senior Management
The re-structuring at senior management level has taken a step forward with the appointment of five Group Heads
The appointments are part of the "Towards a Sustainable Future" programme designed to make Spelthorne a leaner, self-funding Council, whilst protecting the services that people value and rely upon.
The changes mean that senior management will be better aligned with the political leadership and financial savings will also be realised from the streamlining.
The decision of the Appointments Panel, comprising of Councillors Harvey, Harman, Barnard, Doran, (also supported by Councillor Madams), was unanimous.
The five appointed are:
- Sandy Muirhead - Commissioning and Transformation
- Jackie Taylor - Neighbourhood Services
- Karen Sinclair and Deborah Ashman - Community Wellbeing
- Heather Morgan - Regeneration and Growth
- Linda Norman - Finance and Customer Relations
Roberto Tambini, Spelthorne's Chief Executive, said: "This was a most rigorous and fair selection process with councillors being impressed with the calibre of our internal applicants. We will all be working hard to ensure a smooth transition".
The Group Heads will take up their new roles this week.
Manfred Mann's Mike D'Abo Comes to SCC on Friday 22nd April
The next Music Night at the Sunbury Cricket Club falls on Friday 22nd April, and it promises to be a very special evening, as the Club welcomes the multi-talented singer and songwriter Mike D'Abo.
Mike is best known, of course, as the singer with Manfred Mann in the 1960s, who took over from Paul Jones in the band when Paul went solo, and fronted a string of big hits, including 'Just Like A Woman', 'Semi Detached Suburban Mr. James' , 'Ha Ha! Said The Clown', 'My Name Is Jack', and 'Fox On The Run', almost all of them making the Top 10 as well as a No.1 with 'The Mighty Quinn'. Before that he had been in A Band Of Angels, who recorded for Decca, United Artists and Piccadilly between 1964 and 1966.
He is also a highly successful songwriter, writing “Handbags And Glad Rags”, which has been a hit over the years for Chris Farlowe, Rod Stewart and The Stereophonics, and co-writing The Foundations’ biggie “Build Me Up Buttercup”. He also wrote the music for the film “There’s a Girl In My Soup”, and turned his hand to writing jingles for TV commercials, including Cadbury’s “Finger of Fudge”!
Other credits include performing the show stopping “King Herod’s Song” on the original recording of “Jesus Christ Superstar”.
He will be appearing with his trio featuring Dik Cadbury and Steve Degutis on bass, guitar and harmonies, as he not only performs songs from across his career, but will give us some juicy and hilarious insights behind the scenes of the business as he recounts anecdotes from episodes and encounters during his half-century in the business.
It will be a fascinating, entertaining and usual evening. As usual, food will be be available before the show which opens at 8.30pm. Cost of admission £10 at the door.
