Walpole Park Campaigners Cry Foul Over Petition Debate

Matter will not be heard by council until after the end of consultation

The Mattock Lane entrance to Walpole Park

October 8, 2026

A petition opposing Troubadour Theatres’ plan for a semi-permanent theatre and music venue in Walpole Park has exceeded Ealing Council’s newly raised signature threshold by a wide margin — but campaigners say procedural rules mean it will not be debated until after the consultation and planning processes have closed, effectively muting the community’s voice at a critical moment.

The e-petition, launched a month ago by local resident Nick Lane, closed this with 5,250 signatures, far surpassing the 3,671 required to trigger a full council debate. The threshold represents one per cent of Ealing’s population. Campaigners also noted that the petition was cut off 1 hour and 19 minutes earlier than the advertised deadline.

Despite the strong public response, Mr Lane says he has been told by Ealing’s Head of Democratic Services, that the earliest possible date for a debate is 8 December, and even that depends on the Mayor agreeing to schedule it. This means the petition will not be heard until after the council’s consultation and planning processes on the Troubadour scheme have concluded.

One apparent barrier to an earlier debate is the council’s requirement that petitions must be verified before they can be considered. Although the petition passed the threshold on 27 September — more than ten clear working days before the next full council meeting on 13 October — officers say the large number of signatures means verification will take time.

The officer also cited constitutional rules requiring petitions to be submitted to the proper officer at least ten working days before a meeting, and noted that only one debate petition can be heard per meeting. Another petition was submitted earlier and is already scheduled for 13 October.

Mr Lane argues that the council’s interpretation of these rules is preventing residents from being heard.

“Ironically, the very success of the petition in gaining such a large number of signatures is counting against it because Ealing Council say it will take time to verify it,” he said. “So the strong voice of the public is being silenced through arcane procedural rules and anti-democratic interpretations of them.”

The delay comes just days after council leader Peter Mason told Labour’s party conference that power should be devolved “from Whitehall to communities… the council, the ward, the street and the kitchen table.” Mr Lane says that the handling of the petition contradicts that message.

“Far from granting power to the people of Ealing, this is a travesty of procedure over substance which will frustrate local democracy in action,” he said. “We are even wondering did those behind the proposal deliberately not let the public know about it until it was already too late for a petition to be debated?”

Petitioners are urging the Mayor to intervene by allowing the petition to be heard on 13 October in an extraordinary meeting, instructing officers to complete verification as quickly as possible and supporting a review of the current petition rules.

Mr Lane said he will be consulting with residents and supporting groups this week to determine how best to honour the “collective desire voiced by the community for this ill-informed and ill-advised proposal to be scrutinised properly.”

An Ealing Council spokesperson said, “The petition regarding the proposed temporary theatre in Walpole park closed on Sunday 4 October. The next steps is for the signatures to be verified against eligibility requirements such as whether the person lives in the borough. If the threshold of 3,671 valid signatures is met, the petition would be referred to a future full Council meeting for debate. As the October meeting deadline has passed, the earliest meeting at which it could be debated is December.

“The petition process is separate from the processes for considering the proposed temporary theatre. There will be two separate opportunities for residents and stakeholders to comment on the temporary theatre at Walpole Park. The planning consultation will consider the proposed theatre and its impact on the area. There will also be a separate statutory consultation relating to the proposed lease of part of the park.

“The council will consider feedback through these processes before final decisions are reached. We welcome the strong interest being shown in the proposal and are keen to hear the full range of views from residents, park users, businesses and community groups when the consultations begin.”

Alongside pushing for a debate, campaigners are preparing detailed responses to the forthcoming consultation and planning processes. They have also begun crowdfunding in anticipation of a potential legal challenge. Donations can be made at goodhub.com/go/save-walpole.