Hillingdon residents will face higher signature thresholds for petitions following a decision made at a recent Hillingdon Council meeting. The changes, which aim to modernise the council's petition scheme, were approved despite opposition from some councillors who argued they would create a barrier for residents.
The revised scheme, discussed at the Council meeting on Thursday, July 9, 2026, will see the signature requirement for local and planning petitions increase from 20 to 50. For borough-wide petitions, the threshold will rise from 100 to 500 signatures.
Councillor Steve Tuckwell, Leader of the Council, presented the proposed revisions, stating that the changes were intended to reflect current engagement methods while ensuring inclusivity. He argued that the adjustments would streamline resident requests and allow for swifter action from relevant council service areas. The increased signature thresholds are intended to reflect 'current engagement methods', particularly the growth of digital petitioning and online promotion. Councillor Tuckwell stated, This is about making our petition scheme work better for residents, not preserving a process simply because it's how it's always been done.
The report also notes that the way residents organise, and support petitions has changed significantly over the last 20 years, particularly with the growth of digital petitioning and online promotion. This makes historic thresholds less representative than they once were.
Under the revised scheme, the criteria for petition types and their corresponding signature thresholds are:
- Local issues (e.g., street or neighbourhood matters): 50 or more signatures.
- Planning applications: 50 or more signatures. If the application is being determined by the Hillingdon Planning Committee, the Lead Petitioner may address the Committee. If determined by a Planning Officer, the petition will be considered as part of the decision-making process, but there will be no right to speak.
- Borough-wide issues (e.g., policies or services affecting the whole Borough): 500 or more signatures.
Petitions with fewer than 50 signatures for any issue will be treated as a service request or planning representation and responded to by the relevant service.
The rationale behind increasing the signature threshold for borough-wide petitions from 100 to 500 is that petitions are now easier to create, circulate and support
due to the growth of digital petitioning. The report states that this increase means Hillingdon remains relatively accessible compared with many other boroughs.
No specific data supporting this exact jump was provided, but the general reasoning is the increased ease of gathering signatures in the digital age.
Councillor Tuckwell stated that these changes would streamline resident requests, remove unnecessary time barriers, and allow relevant council service areas to act more swiftly.
The current process for submitting petitions allows for submission by post or in person, by email (scanned copy), or online via the Council's e-Petition system or other recognized e-petition websites. The new thresholds aim to streamline resident requests by replacing automatic Cabinet Member hearings with either a written response or a site visit, which is argued to be a quicker and more practical way of engaging.
However, Councillor Gursharan Mand, Deputy Leader of the Labour Group, moved an amendment to oppose the changes. He expressed concern that the increased thresholds would make it harder for smaller communities and less organised groups to have their voices heard. Councillor Mand also highlighted worries about the removal of automatic Cabinet Member hearings, suggesting that a written response or site visit is not a substitute for public transparency and direct engagement. Councillor Steve Tuckwell argued that removing automatic Cabinet Member hearings would reduce the amount of officer and Member time involved in holding such hearings, which can often be at a time inconvenient to the petitioners.
Councillor Mand countered that A written response or site visit may sometimes be useful but is not the same as a public hearing. A public hearing gives residents transparency, visibility and the ability to raise their concerns directly.
Despite these concerns, the proposed changes to the Council Residents' Petition Scheme were carried following a recorded vote. The full details of the meeting can be found in the Printed minutes 09th-Jul-2026 19.30 Council.
