EIGHT groups and companies, including Ecotricity and SVA, have officially registered their interest in taking over the Sub Rooms from Stroud District Council.

In January, Stroud district councillors approved a list of three options for the 183 year-old building, which last year saw funding costs rise to an unmanageable £415,000.

These three options are for the council to retain the arts centre, hand over the running to a community group or sell the venue on the open market.

Following this eight groups registered their interest which include Ecotricity, SVA and Stroud Town Council.

Green-energy giant Ecotricity houses much of its staff in Stroud’s town centre with buildings at Wallbridge roundabout and in Russell Street.

The company’s founder Dale Vince told the SNJ: “We understood that it was costing too much money for the council so when they were looking for expressions of interest we put ours in.

“We want to see something good done with it, we have some ideas about what we would like to do.

“At the moment we have 600 and nearly 700 staff but in our buildings in the centre of town there is no social space for them to go to eat lunch, we think the upper floor [of the Sub Rooms] could work well for that.

“It’s early days but we’re interested and it would be good if it can be kept for public use.”

Stroud Town Council said that it expressed interest to delay any possible sale which would give other local groups time to come forward.

Town Mayor Kevin Cranston said: “We are very keen to see them stay. We are helping several groups put together their plans and cooperate to produce something that financially workable, appeals to all ages and interests and will give the Sub Rooms an exciting and sustainable future.

“The town council has neither the resources or the expertise to take over the venue on its own. Our role is to enable a viable solution to be found.”

SVA – Stroud Valleys Artspace – submitted its expression of interest after talks with local artists who would like the venue to remain in public ownership.

Neil Walker, SVA director said: "It's to soon to say whether it is possible for us to take on the Sub Rooms or not, we need to make sure everything adds up.

"Lots of artists came to us to asking us to help secure it for public use, we can't yet say what we could use it for."

The other five organisations which have registered interest are the Cheltenham Trust, George Square Rooms, MultiMedia Outsourcing UK, Stroud Community Co-op and the Subs Community Association.

A decision on the venue’s future is expected later this year.