Petition to 'Support our Subs', signed by 1,700 people, presented to Stroud district councillors

The petition, presented by the Subs Community Association – who have expressed interest in taking over the venue, was handed to councillors at last Tuesday’s (June 13) strategy and resources committee meeting.

Due to financial pressures on Stroud District Council, who own the venue, the Stroud Subscription Rooms’ future is in the balance.

Three options are being considered, the council may retain the venue, it could be passed over to a community group, or it could be sold on the open market.

Members of the Subs Community Association stated on Tuesday that they would like the third option off the table.

One of the group’s members, Julie Wickham, said at the meeting: “We, the 1,700 undersigned call upon our district councillors to do everything in their power to keep Stroud’s Subscription Rooms as the vibrant, publicly-owned community venue it is, and to work with the community to secure its future.

“The image of hundreds of supporters joining hands around the building to protect it is a powerful metaphor and should not be ignored.

“The building brings the community together and the development of a vibrant arts and cultural centre, imaginatively run, can bring huge social and economic benefit to our whole district.

“The community have been able to use this building for 183 years. How would the council feel about being the group to go down in history as the council that sold it off?

Following this Julie listed the group’s four key requests, which are: “We would like to see option three of this process – the option to sell off the building – off the table.

“We want to see some key guidelines for whoever takes over the building, namely that profits made should be ploughed back for all community use.

“Keep the Sub Rooms working effectively in the transition phase.

“Marketing resources need to be strengthened.

“Extend the timeline it if is needed for strong community options.”

The group won their right to speak to councillors about their petition in open debate after overcoming the 1,100 required signatories – and by quite some margin.

Stroud District Council leader Steve Lydon, chair of the committee, said: “I want this thing to work, I hope it does pull through, but it is also our job to bring about a balanced budget.

“That is not a threat, but it is what we have to do, sometimes there are some hard choices we need to look at.

“This is an ongoing discussion that we want.”

Cllr Lydon stressed that it would be for cross-party task and finish group, which contains members from all parties and from both the town and district council, to decide what the best option is.

Their findings will be presented to several council committees followed by a further public consultation before the final decision is made.

Cllr Simon Pickering (Green, Stroud Slade), formerly chair of the cross-party task and finish group set up to assess the venue’s future, said: “Austerity is beginning to bite and it is the start of some very difficult decisions.

“As someone who raised this issue two years ago and who wishes to see it retained, we need to find a way to make this work and get out of the blame culture.”