More than 4,400 people have now signed a petition against Ealing Council’s plans for a temporary Troubadour theatre in Walpole Park, with campaigners making a final push for signatures before it closes on Sunday (4 October 2026).
The petition had reached 4,472 signatures by 9.45am on Friday (2 October 2026), more than 800 above the 3,671 threshold required for a full Ealing Council debate, subject to the signatures being verified after it closes.
It is the first Ealing Council e-petition to pass the 3,671 threshold since new petition rules were introduced by the Labour-run council in July 2025.
The new threshold represents 1% of Ealing’s population based on the 2021 Census and replaced the previous requirements of 1,500 signatures for a borough-wide petition and 750 for one relating to a single ward.
The increase was criticised at the time by residents and opposition councillors, while Eaing Council said the change would ensure petitions considered for debate at full council demonstrated a broad level of public support.
Save Walpole Park campaigners say they have expanded their efforts beyond the streets surrounding the park, with leafleting and campaigning taking place in areas including Pitshanger, Hanwell and Ealing Common, as well as at Ealing Broadway station.
Save Walpole Park campaigner and petition organiser Nick Lane, who has lived in Ealing for most of his life and lives near Walpole Park, said the continued increase in signatures showed opposition had not slowed after the threshold was reached.
He told EALING.NEWS: “The further signatures gained since the petition met the threshold underlines the fierce opposition to the Troubadour proposal and the fact that the word continues to spread about the plan.”
Mr Lane said campaigners were still encountering residents who had not previously heard about the proposals and were encouraging people to continue signing despite the threshold already having been passed.
He said: “We are encouraging the community not to stop at the threshold but to show the widespread strength of feeling about the plan and to send a strong message to the Council.”
Campaigners are hoping the petition could reach 5,000 signatures before it closes at 11.59pm on Sunday (4 October 2026).
Mr Lane said: “There will be a last push over the weekend to get as many more signatures as possible.”
He added: “We may even hit 5,000 signatures on the current sign rates which would be amazing.”
The campaign initially concentrated on streets close to Walpole Park and visitors to the park before expanding into other parts of Ealing.
Mr Lane said: “From the initial efforts centred on streets near to the park itself and then visitors to the park over the recent marathon weekend we then broadened our reach to Pitshanger, Hanwell, Ealing Common and other areas to highlight if this would happen to Walpole it could also happen to your local park. This is resonating.”
Campaigners have also been contacting Ealing Council and Labour councillors over the proposal and are seeking further information about the council’s consideration of possible alternative locations.
Mr Lane said he had received an email from Councillor Lauren Wall, Ealing Council’s cabinet member for thriving communities, whose portfolio includes culture, arts and parks and open spaces.
Councillor Wall told him: “Following a review of potential locations, it was concluded that the council did not own any other suitable site in the area apart from the space currently used for summer festivals.”
Mr Lane said he subsequently asked for a copy of that review but had not yet received it.
The campaign has also submitted Freedom of Information requests seeking details of assessments carried out by the council and its discussions with Troubadour Theatres.
Asked what message the growing petition sent to Ealing Council, Mr Lane said the authority should take account of the level of opposition before progressing the proposal further.
He said: “The petition’s success sends a clear message to the council that if they are committed to ‘listening to and acting on the views of the public’, they need to take careful stock of the extent and depth of public opposition to the proposal and act now.”
He added that campaigners were prepared to continue opposing the proposal through the consultation and planning process and, if necessary, through legal action.
The petition was launched on 4 September 2026 and passed the 3,671-signature threshold less than a month later.
Once it closes, Ealing Council will verify the signatures against its eligibility requirements, including whether those signing live in the borough.
If at least 3,671 valid signatures remain following verification, the petition will be referred to a future full Council meeting for debate.
Ealing Council has told EALING.NEWS that the deadline for the October meeting has already passed, meaning the earliest the petition could be debated is at the full Council meeting on 8 December 2026.
The proposed Troubadour Ealing Broadway Theatre would have 1,200 seats and operate in Walpole Park for three years, with additional time allowed for construction and dismantling.
Ealing Council’s cabinet agreed in principle last month (9 September 2026) to progress plans for a lease with Troubadour Theatres, subject to planning permission. A further cabinet decision would be required before the lease is granted.
All three opposition party groups on Labour-run Ealing Council – the Liberal Democrats, Conservatives and Greens – have also been against plans for a temporary theatre in Walpole Park.
Ealing Council has previously said the temporary theatre would allow it to establish whether there is sufficient demand for a permanent theatre in the borough while generating income for parks and bringing more visitors to local businesses.
Council leader Councillor Peter Mason told the September cabinet meeting that the proposal was temporary, saying: “In four years’ time, there will be no theatre on Walpole Park. That is the baseline position.”
EALING.NEWS has approached Troubadour Theatres for comment on a number of occasions since the plans were announced but has not received a response.
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