Rallying cry issued over Sub Rooms future as dispute opens up about future of Mr Twitchett’s

A petition called Save Our Subs aimed at keeping the building as a publicly owned venue was started last week and has already gained 300 signatures.

There was also a dramatic development this week when word spread that the Sub Rooms café - Mr Twitchett’s Coffee House & Bar - was set to cease daytime trading from April 1, leading to redundancies.

Stroud District Council, which runs the venue, issued a statement saying a consultation was underway because Mr Twitchett’s was making a loss.

It said the cafe had made losses of £30,000 over the last 12 months.

As rumours spread on social media, the venue’s marketing consultant Sarah Phaedre Watson, a freelancer, posted comments on her own Facebook page disputing the losses.

She claimed the cafe was making a profit and needed more investment.

Ms Phaedre Watson also ridiculed the consultation, saying the situation was a foregone conclusion and that members of staff had already been informed about redundancies.

When SDC was made aware of the comments, her contract was terminated.

Speaking to the SNJ, she said: “In order for us to have a genuine, open discussion about the future of the venue there has to be transparency from all parties and it’s a huge shame that, in order for us to do so, I had to speak out publicly and lose my position.

“SDC is gagging its employees to ensure that only its version of facts is released to the public.”

Commenting on her claims, SDC leader Steve Lydon said: “The consultant’s contract was terminated after publishing comments on social media. She was not a member of staff. “Council staff are not gagged. Like any organisation, staff operate within a council policy that covers communications and media relations.”

The Mr Twitchett’s situation has angered district councillor Martin Baxendale (Green, Stroud Valley), who only found out about the possible closure on Facebook.

"I am incredibly angry and disappointed with the way the café situation has been handled and because of that I am considering whether I can continue as a district councillor," he said.

"I don’t like quitting but sometimes there are principles of fairness and openness at stake that people need to make a stand on, and this is one of those times.

"I’ve been working very hard behind the scenes as a representative of the people of Stroud to try to sort out this mess but I feel like I have been banging my head against a brick wall most of the time.

"For now I will continue what I am currently doing, which is fighting to stem the loss of experienced management staff from the Subscription Rooms.

"The important thing now is to make sure the Sub Rooms has effective and experienced management who can keep it running and improving at this crucial time for its future. After that I will have to consider my position."

SDC issued a statement last week claiming the café had lost £30,000 in the past year, which had led to a further consultation.

In a press statement about the situation issued as the SNJ went to press, an SDC spokesman said: “Council taxpayers expect us to deliver value for money and this means looking at how we can stem the losses made by the cafe.

“We cannot afford to subsidise every cup of coffee, glass of wine or pint.

“Members of staff have been consulted about how we can tackle this and ideas such as reduced daytime opening and an outside catering service are currently being considered.

“No changes to cafe opening hours will be introduced before June 2017.”

Meanwhile, the Support Our Subs group is urging residents to sign its petition to ensure the venue continues in public ownership.

Stroud poet Crispin Thomas, the group’s spokesman, said: “The Subs is a very special venue to me and almost like a second home.

“I just want to be able to continue attracting and bringing more delights and surprises for the people of Stroud to experience in this beautiful building.”

You can sign the petition at bit.ly/2o1wrlR

Save Our Subs campaigners will gather outside the venue between 10.30am and noon on Saturday in a show of support. At noon they will form a giant ring around the venue and hold hands.

Take part in the Sub Rooms consultation by emailing subrooms.review@stroud.gov.uk