Hillingdon Council is facing backlash over plans to increase the number of signatures required for petitions to trigger a formal response, with critics warning the move undermines local democracy. The proposed changes would raise the threshold for local and planning petitions from 20 to 50 signatures, and for borough-wide petitions from 100 to 500 signatures. Additionally, automatic Cabinet Member hearings would be replaced with written responses or site visits, and speaking rights for planning petitions decided by officers would be removed.
Council defends changes as modernisation
Council documents argue that the revisions reflect the ease of creating and circulating petitions in the digital age, and that Hillingdon would remain "relatively accessible compared with many other boroughs." Petitions with fewer than 50 signatures would be treated as service requests or planning representations, responded to by the relevant service. The proposals are set to be debated at Full Council on Thursday, July 9.
Residents and councillors voice opposition
Andrea Scrivens, who campaigned to save the Rural Activities Garden Centre from closure in 2025, said the move is "eroding residents' democratic rights." She questioned the council's motive, noting that the change would reduce scrutiny of decision-making. Jonathan Haynes, a key figure in the Back the Beck campaign to save the Beck Theatre, called the proposals undemocratic. He stated: "I’ve signed this petition because democracy isn’t just about voting every four years, it is about ensuring decisions are properly scrutinised and we can hold our elected councillors to account. I believe these proposals weaken those safeguards and make local government in Hillingdon less democratic."
Labour councillor criticises Conservative administration
Labour Councillor Sital Punja accused the Conservative-led council of breaking a promise by the new leader, Cllr Steve Tuckwell, to be more resident-focused. "Increasing the threshold for borough-wide petitions from 100 to 500 signatures is a huge step backwards for local democracy," Punja said. He added that even if petitions meet the higher target, there is no guarantee of a hearing, and that the changes build "new barriers instead of removing them for better public engagement."
Council declines to comment ahead of vote
Hillingdon Council declined to comment on the record, stating that a full response would be provided at the council meeting and that they could not pre-empt the decision. The proposals have sparked a petition opposing the changes, which has gathered over 1,000 signatures as of press time.
