The Charles Cryer Studio Theatre opened in 1991, adapted by Renowned Architects Cullinan Studio from the historic Carshalton Public Hall.

In late 2014, Sutton council announced that it would withdraw its funding for the venue to help balance their budget.

This needn't be a problem, the business community and Theatres Trust both believe the theatre could have a successful future as an independent organisation, and cover its own running costs.

But the council's methodology for this transition has been widely derided as rushed and inadequate. With the plan being to sell off the site for redevelopment should the process fail.

This petition makes modest and reasonable demands of Sutton Council to demonstrate its commitment to finding a new operator, who will safeguard the theatre's future as a public cultural venue. These are:

A guarantee that a new operator will be found, and the site will not be sold for redevelopment

A continued obligation for this new operator to run the building as a public cultural venue

A commitment to offering this new operator an affordable lease rate

A clarification that the planning department will not approve change-of-use for the site