8.30pm FRIDAY 30TH MARCH at Sunbury Cricket Club, £10 on the door. The Barnes Blues Band promises to bring us another evening of stunning high class blues and R&B from a group of seasoned professionals who have honed their skills in a variety of big name bands over the years. The band features Bobby Tench (guitar, vocals) whose illustrious background includes the Jeff Beck Group, Streetwalkers, Humble Pie, Van Morrison, Freddie King and Hummingbird, alongside one of the great blues troubadours of the British club scene Papa George (guitar, vocals), with Peter Rees and Vic Martin, formerly of Gary Moore’s band on bass and keyboards, and Darby Todd, Sunbury’s very own star drummer, who you have seen at two great gigs at the Club with Protect The Beat and Buddy Whittington.

Like those two events, this one is promoted by Sunbury colleague Brett Todd, and we thank him for arranging what promises to be another night not to be missed. Find out more at www.bobbytench.co.uk and www.papageorge.co.uk. Tickets for the Hamilton Loomis gig will be on sale at the Barnes Blues Band event.

The highly restrictive process by which a resident may ask a question of our local County Councillors has once again proved to be more important than a satisfactory outcome. Once a question has been asked, with one supplementary allowed, no further debate is permissible - no matter how important the issue. Not for the first time the Chairman of LOSRA left the Local Area Committee wondering how his time might more profitably have been spent.

The question was one which should be of interest to all our members as it concerns the cumulative effects of a number of different developments which are in prospect for the Lower Sunbury area. The answer to the first question which queried what arrangements were in place to deal with the potential problem was blandly answered with information that is already freely available on the SCC Website. Critically, the answer did not address the "how" which was the whole point of the question. The answer to the supplementary question, which was designed to elicit one named individual to whom ultimate accountability should be attached, was similarly opaque.

In short, the Chairman was none the wiser when he left the Council chamber as when he went in, having learnt nothing new or which he could not have discovered by searching the internet from the comfort of his office. He was also left wondering whether our elected representatives actually see the answers prepared by officers who seem so adept at scripting obfuscation and patronising platitudes on behalf of their political masters. It's almost as though the public are merely "them", the polloi, the dumb, slow moaning livestock of politics. This may sound harsh but this is the impression which most of those attending to ask questions took away with them.

The first question and answer may be viewed by clicking here

The Supplementary question and answer may be viewed by clicking here

The latest Spelthorne News Bulletin has some interesting items particularly for those who have children aged 5 - 11. A Spring Art Open Day on 31st March and Easter Art Workshops on 2nd April are announced. For sports enthusiasts, a swimathon at the Sunbury Leisure Centre in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care will take place over two days on 27th and 28th April; and the Staines 10k road race on 13th May (limited to 650 entrants) is now open for registration.

Of more general interest, a 'Streetbank' scheme for the sharing of goods and skills within a community is announced together with a FAQ on issues which the Council can take into account when dealing with planning applications.

For further details on all these topics please click here

Unfortunately the Surrey County Council Planning and Regulatory Committee decided to approve the Eco Park application on Friday 9th March.

Not content with passing this unproven (and therefore experimental) technology, they even refused requests to prevent access to the gasification plant by HGVs on Saturdays and Sundays; to prevent access to the anaerobic digester on Saturdays; and to restrict the operation of the gasifier at weekends.

The arguments put forward by the speakers on your behalf were delivered with conviction and should have persuaded the Committee of the concerns the residents have about the proposal. Our local County Councillors also put forward cogent and well reasoned points; and all were supported by a packed public gallery. Unfortunately, the Committee did not vote as we would have hoped.

This has been a long three years of campaigning; and the hugely disappointing outcome has served to illustrate how economic considerations seem destined to trump all the environmental deficits which will inevitably result from this project.

John Brooks (Deputy Head of Planning and Housing Strategy for Spelthorne Borough Council) attended the hearing as did Michael Graham (Head of Corporate Governance at Spelthorne Council) who is one of the Council legal team. Both took copious notes throughout. They will be looking at the legality of the process followed by the County Council and SITA UK. We will be seeking an early meeting with these officers to explore the possibilities of a challenge through Judicial Review at the High Court.

PC Caroline Barnes' report for the month of February gives an update on police attention to the Skate Park and trespass at the Police College site in Green Street.

Click here to view the latest report

Many thanks to all our members who turned up for the public meeting on 23rd February at St. Mary's Church Hall (see article of 16th February).

As expected, it was an occasion of much animated debate as London Irish presented their proposals for both their Avenue site and Hazelwood Golf Course. The Secretary of State's appeal decision and the Planning Inspector's recommendations following the public inquiry were published on this site on 25th November 2011 and, on careful reading, it was almost inevitable that having satisfied the reservations expressed in the decision notice, they would come back to the table with further applications. These documents may again be viewed by clicking here.

London Irish intend to lodge their applications in the middle of this month and the public meeting, called by LOSRA, gave them the opportunity to present their proposals in advance. For those who were unable to attend, a copy of the minutes may be viewed by clicking here.

The next Music Night at Sunbury Cricket Club is next week Friday 9th March when SCC welcome back The Mustangs, who entertained us so royally last autumn.

Those of you who saw them on their first visit to the Club last year will know why The Mustangs have established such a formidable reputation as one of the country’s most dynamic blues/rock acts, and have been hailed as a real breath of fresh air on the British blues scene.

Behind their success is a unique combination of the power and punch of old school R&B with top class original material and a high octane stage act, and they are certainly among the UK’s hardest-working and most charismatic blues attractions.

In 2010 they were nominated for Best Band in the prestigious British Blues Awards, and over the last few years have become a must-have band for just about every British Blues Festival – this coming weekend they are back at the Swanage Blues Festival, and later in March appear at the spiritual home of British Blues, the Eel Pie Club. Their latest album, the sixth of their career, has been well-received by critics, as the attached reviews demonstrate, and we are delighted to have them back at Sunbury Cricket Club. It should be another rip-roaring musical night to savour, so don’t miss it! if you haven't heard them, there are plenty of music clips on their excellent web site at www.themustangs.co.uk.

Also, by clicking here, you will find a schedule of forthcoming events at SCC - regular visitors will note that we have added The 60s All Stars in June. It's intended to have the Hamilton Loomis tickets on sale at The Mustangs gig, so that will be a good opportunity for everyone to get them well in advance.

As LOSRA is so vehemently opposed to the installation of the Eco Park incinerator at Charlton Lane, we are more than happy to support an initiative which aims to reduce black bag waste and promote recycling. A new food waste campaign between Surrey County Council and Spelthorne BC is being launched this week.

Recent research indicates that Surrey residents produce about 83,000 tonnes of food waste every year, which has significant environmental and financial implications. The cost of collection, disposal and treatment runs into millions and according to WRAP wasted food costs the average family up to £50 a month.

So to help you waste less, Spelthorne Borough Council and Surrey County Council are providing helpful tips on how to plan meals, perfect the right portions, store correctly and use up leftovers, helping residents to waste less and save more. For the waste you can’t avoid, residents are being encourages to use Spelthorne’s new food waste collection service. By keeping the food separate to general waste it can be processed in a more environmentally friendly way and turned into fertiliser, rather than be sent to landfill with other black bag waste.

For more information visit the SCC Website by clicking here.

Following a Freedom of Information request to Surrey County Council we were astonished to find that they have spent £48,300 of tax-payers money on the services of a barrister to advise on whether, or how, the Eco Park incinerator application could be passed without it being put before a second Planning Committee following the Secretary of State's decision not to get involved.

We have always argued that material facts have emerged since its first approval in June 2011 which require the application to be re-heard. The barrister obviously came to the same inescapable conclusion.

The Planning and Regulatory Committee of Surrey County Council will now re-hear the planning application at 10.30am on Friday 9th March at County Hall, Kingston. We are hoping for a good turnout. Please be there if you can.

The closing date for representations to Surrey County Council is midnight on 24th February. If you haven't already and would like to make your views known, you may do so by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Chairman of LOSRA has replied on behalf of the Association and his letter of objection may be viewed by clicking here.

You may also view a recent clip on the subject from a documentary report about incinerators in the the Midlands. http://satep.co.uk/#/gallery/4544877373

Next Friday, 24th February, Sunbury Cricket Club welcomes the Marshall Taylor Band for their debut at the Club, and the first of their free admission nights. It was Mark Doyle of the Marshall Taylor Band who recommended that SCC book The Good Old Boys.

Mark's band now has the opportunity to play a gig at the Club and reach a wider audience. This Kingston-based 5-piece outfit play classic rock, pop and blues from the '60s and '70s, and play regularly at The Crown in Chertsey. You can find more details and some music on their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Marshall-Taylor-Band/75147413516. SCC hope you will support this development of the Music Night programme, and look forward to seeing you on Friday.