Walpole Park Theatre Opponents Secure Council Debate

Campaign petition signatures passes key threshold ahead of deadline

Campaigners believe the theatre would lead to an unacceptable loss of public space

September 29, 2026

Campaigners opposing plans for a new Troubadour theatre in Walpole Park have secured enough signatures on an Ealing Council petition to trigger a debate by councillors.

More than 3,700 people have backed the e-petition calling for the proposed 1,200-seat commercial theatre development to be stopped. The council requires 3,671 signatures, equivalent to 1% of the borough's population based on the 2021 Census, for a petition to qualify for a full council debate.

The petition opened on 4 September and passed the threshold within 23 days, ahead of its closing date of 4 October. Campaigners said it was the first e-petition to reach the threshold since the council introduced new petition rules in July 2025. A paper petition on an unrelated issue had previously reached the required level in February this year.

Save Walpole Park says the result demonstrates opposition to the theatre proposals extending beyond the immediate area around the park. Campaign volunteers have been distributing leaflets, speaking to residents and promoting the petition through social media.

Ealing Council's cabinet gave in-principle approval on 9 September to progressing a lease with Troubadour Theatres covering the period from April 2027 until March 2030. The council had first made details of the proposal public in September 2025.

The successful petition does not overturn that decision. According to the campaign, it means the issue must be debated at a full council meeting, with the debate lasting a maximum of 20 minutes under the council's petition scheme. The date of the meeting has yet to be confirmed.

Nick Lane, who created the petition, said: “The speedy success of the e-petition is testament to the strength and breadth of feeling about this ridiculous theatre proposal, and the amazing work of the volunteers who have been out talking to neighbours and the community.”

He added that he was not convinced a short public meeting would change the council's plans but described the petition as “an important shot across their bows” and said campaigners intended to continue opposing the development.

Campaigners have also raised concerns about the process for signing the council's online petition. They say some residents encountered difficulties registering, while people without an email address could not sign electronically. They also claim there has been confusion about eligibility and say the system does not adequately cater for people who do not speak English fluently.

According to Save Walpole Park, a request for the petition deadline to be extended because of accessibility problems was refused by the council's Monitoring Officer.

The campaign also argues that Ealing's threshold is unusually high. Its press release says that among London's ten largest boroughs only Wandsworth has a higher requirement, at 10,000 signatures, compared with 500 in Croydon, 1,000 in Lambeth and 2,000 in Barnet and Bromley.

Walpole Park is Grade II listed on Historic England's Register of Parks and Gardens and forms the setting for Pitzhanger Manor. Opponents of the theatre proposal have raised environmental, heritage and public-access concerns about using part of the park for a commercial development.

The campaign says the next significant stage will be consideration of the development through the planning process, and has pledged to continue fighting the scheme.

At present the official petition hosted on the Ealing Council’s website has been signed by 1182 people. Under rules brought in last year, 1% of the population of the borough, or 3871 people, are required to sign in order to trigger a debate within the council.