The following press release arrived in LOSRA's inbox on 1st July:

Spelthorne Borough Council has welcomed the Airport Commission’s report published today  which recommends to government that a third runway be built to the north west of Heathrow.

The Commission’s unanimous recommendation recognises that expanded airport capacity is crucial to the UK’s long term prosperity by providing greater airport capacity and international connectivity. 

The report comes with a number of recommended measures to address environmental concerns including noise and air quality and securing a major shift away from private vehicles as means of transport to the airport. The Commission has explained its recommendations would make an expanded Heathrow a better neighbour for local communities than it is today.  

Leader of Spelthorne Council, Cllr Robert Watts said: “This is good news for the local and national economy.  Along with our MP, Kwasi Kwarteng, Spelthorne has been a long standing supporter of the expansion of Heathrow on economic grounds whilst recognising the environmental and transport impacts must also be addressed.  I am pleased the Commission has proposed a series of strong measure to address those environmental and transport concerns.”  

Councillor Colin Davis, Cabinet Member for Economic Development said: “The Commission has clearly undertaken a very thorough assessment and recognised the overwhelming economic case for Heathrow’s expansion.  It will now be important for the government to consider the report quickly so an early decision can be made allowing detailed plans to then be developed.”

LOSRA is well aware that the expansion of Heathrow is a hugely contentious issue which divides opinion amongst our members. Please use the comments facility below to make your views known.

The Elmbridge Planning website states that the Waterside Drive Sports Hub application will be considered by the North Area Planning Sub-Committee (NAPS) on Monday 6th July and, because of the number of objections, it would also be considered at the Full Planning Committee scheduled for 14th July.

For those who have not been following the story, the Development will comprise a new football and athletics stadium with spectator seating and detached two storey building incorporating changing facilities, storage, function and club rooms; floodlighting, additional football and sports pitches, new car park and access road, ancillary storage sheds and spectators shelters, hard & soft landscaping, dog walking area, fenced picnic area/playground and new electric substation following demolition of existing football club and facilities.

LOSRA's objections have been confined to the likely impact of noise and light pollution likely to affect residents on the north bank of the Thames and the adverse effect on the tranquillity of the riverside environment.

For further details of the application, click here

The following email has been received from the Regional Communications Manager, SITA UK and is reproduced here:

As you know work is now underway on the Eco Park development and we thought it would be helpful to update you on progress to date and the communications activity being undertaken.  The early works are progressing well, the working area has been fenced and work began last week on building the footpath diversion and access roads.  Preparatory works to the rear of the site and inspections and surveys are underway, and temporary site management facilities have been installed.

We have prepared a six-page update for local residents, which will be distributed Wednesday this week and I have attached a copy for your information.  Please note that this refers to a new website for the project, which will be launched later in the week and is therefore not currently available. 

We have widened the distribution area for this update in response to feedback from Spelthorne Borough Council, and this now takes in around 16,000 homes, including parts of Sunbury Common and Laleham & Shepperton Green wards that weren’t previously included.

We are also holding drop in sessions for local residents at the Sunbury Golf Centre on Charlton Lane on:

• Wednesday 8th July, 3pm to 8pm
• Saturday 11th July, 11am to 4pm

In addition to the update, we are promoting the drop in sessions through posters in the local area.

We are also planning communications about changes to the community recycling centre service to cover the centre’s wider catchment area. 

Kind regards,

Emma

Emma Jordan
Recycling and waste recovery UK
Regional Communications Manager

NB. Representations have already been made regarding the scheduling of the drop-in sessions as they conflict with a number of local events which have clearly not been taken into account. To see the six page update, click here: Readers will form their own views on the artist's impressions which depict a truly idyllic environment at the Charlton Lane Community Recycling Centre!

If you're looking for an allotment in Spelthorne now is the time to sign up as the Council has vacant plots in four of its sites in the Borough:

• London Road, Staines-upon-Thames
• Groveley Road, Sunbury on Thames
• Oakhall, Sunbury on Thames
• Shortwood North

For more details, click here

The big events keep coming to the SCC, because in less than two weeks’ time, on Friday 3rd July, world class blues returns to Sunbury in the form of THE BRITISH BLUES ALL STARS. The show sees the return to the Club of Dave Kelly, who played a sold-out gig at the Club last year.  Dave is one of the UK’s very best slide guitarists and singers - he started his career alongside his sister, the late great Jo-Ann Kelly, and with Paul Jones was a founder member of The Blues Band, with whom he has played for 35 years. He has played with a host of blues greats like Howlin’ Wolf, John Lee Hooker and Buddy Guy.

Dave is joined by the legendary R&B keyboard star Zoot Money, a regular at the Marquee and Flamingo Clubs as well as the early Jazz & Blues Festivals with his Big Roll Band, and had a hit in 1966 with “Big Time Operator”. He has been a fixture on the scene ever since and is currently playing with Alan Price.

On drums is another major name in Pick Withers, an original member of Dire Straits, playing on their first four albums, including the hits “Sultans Of Swing”, “Romeo & Juliet” and “Private Investigations”, since when he has been much in demand playing with many other top artists.

The line-up is completed by another original and current member of The Blues Band, Gary Fletcher, on bass and Pete Emery, who like Dave Kelly, honed his skills playing the circuit with Jo-Ann Kelly and other quality British bands.

It is something of a coup to get a band of this stature playing in Sunbury, and it will be a night to remember. It will undoubtedly be a busy night, so the Club will be bringing in some extra seating, and will set the room out partly theatre-style so it can be sure to accommodate the numbers they expect the gig to attract as comfortably as possible.

To see full details of the players, click here

The following announcement has been sent to LOSRA by Spelthorne Borough Council:

The Council is in the process of reviewing its Local Plan which sets out how much development should be allowed in Spelthorne 

The review will have to balance the need for new homes and jobs against the ability to accommodate development taking into account issues such as Green Belt, flood risk and infrastructure. At the end of the review exercise the Council will put forward how much development it thinks can be met to an independent Planning Inspector.

In preparing the Local Plan, the Council has to discuss and share its work with a wide range of other bodies to help understand whether it is taking account of planning issues across a wider area. As part of these discussions Spelthorne and Runnymede Councils have been working together to look at housing needs across their combined area over the next 20 years in a Housing Market Assessment.

The assessment is required by government and must consider future housing needs based on population and jobs growth without taking into account whether the Borough can meet this. As such, these figures are what would be required in an ideal world to meet this assessed demand, rather than what the Borough can accommodate. This aspect will be explored at a later stage as a separate part of the review of the Local Plan. Only after this will any decisions be taken.

A draft of the housing market assessment is due to be considered by Cabinet on 24 June. If agreed, the Council will be seeking views on the draft assessment in accordance with the Council’s proposed Statement of Community Involvement. The assessment will be just one part of the evidence to inform the review of the Local Plan.

Cllr Vivienne Leighton, Cabinet Member for Planning and Corporate Development said: “The Local Plan will set out the levels of development we expect to see in the Borough to 2033 and the Housing Market Assessment is a new statutory requirement which forms just one part of the evidence to inform this. I must stress these figures are not the end result; this will be curtailed by the physical capacity of the Borough. To involve stakeholders at the earliest opportunity and before key decisions have been made we are publishing our draft Housing Market Assessment from 25 June on our website and welcome comments from residents and businesses.”

Cllr Richard Smith-Ainsley, Chair of the Planning Committee said: “The draft Housing Market Assessment is due to be published on 25 June and will be available for comment on the Council’s website.  A separate exercise to establish the amount and type of housing the Borough can sustain will be carried out later. This will take into account all of the factors, such as Green Belt and flood plain that restrict development in Spelthorne.”

LOSRA expects to take an active part in the Review and has asked to be represented on the Stakeholder Forum which will be involved throughout the Review period. That request has been agreed.