A public forum on the future of Farnham's long-derelict Woolmead site will hear fresh proposals for a new theatre next month, as campaigners push for greater transparency over the redevelopment.

The Farnham Theatre Association (FTA) is staging a series of free events at Brightwells Creative Space from September 16 to 19, combining Heritage Open Days with a public exhibition of proposals for Woolmead and a forum on the site's future.

The events come as an online petition calling for proper public consultation on Woolmead has attracted more than 1,250 signatures. In response to what the FTA describes as "significant demand", it has organised a public forum on Saturday, September 19, from 11am to 1pm.

Representatives from Farnham Estates, the developer selected by Homes England as preferred partner for the site in May, along with Chapter One Developments, Homes England, the Farnham Society, Farnham Town Council and the West Surrey Authority have all been invited to present their proposals and answer questions.

The FTA will also use the session to set out its own proposal for a theatre on the site, which it says would boost footfall and strengthen Farnham's cultural life.

If realised, the proposal would bring a theatre back to the Brightwells area for the first time since the Redgrave Theatre closed in 1998.

Running alongside the forum, the programme will also include free lunchtime talks from Wednesday to Friday, from 1.15pm to 2pm, celebrating notable figures with links to Farnham, including Jonathan Swift, George Sturt, William Cobbett, Sir Arthur Sullivan and Sir Peter Pears. The exhibition of Woolmead proposals will be open each afternoon from 2pm to 5pm.

Entry to all events is free, although organisers say places at the Saturday forum are limited and are asking residents to register their interest in advance via the association's website, farnhamtheatre.org.uk.

David Edward, of the Farnham Theatre Association, said: "We are calling for transparency in the planning process and out of concern for the future heritage of our historic town. The Farnham Theatre Association is organising an exhibition of proposals and a public forum as part of the Heritage Open Days event in September."