It seems that Labour councillors on Stroud District Council have changed their minds on the idea of selling off the Subscription Rooms, following the publishing of our dissenting view on the matter.
Martin Whiteside, leader of the group of 8 Greens on the District Council that makes up the Cooperation alliance with Labour and the Lib Dems, said:
“We are delighted that the Labour leadership of SDC has listened to the mounting anger among the Stroud public, their own grassroots members and the Green Party over the recommendation that was being brought to the Strategy and Resources Committee on the 5th December to sell off the Stroud Subscription Rooms. We strongly support plans to change the recommendation away from a freehold sale and re-open the bidding to enable a leasehold arrangement which will keep the Sub-rooms in public ownership and to develop the venue for public arts, political debate and education. We are also passionate about keeping the forecourt, Stroud’s Town Square, in public ownership for all of us to use and enjoy for ever. We feel the Labour motion can be improved and we are working with our Labour and Lib Dem colleagues to strengthen the wording so that this community asset really does remain in public ownership, that consultation is done properly and that the recommendation process is transparent”
Update 27/11/2017: Labour are proposing, and we are seconding, a motion to council on this issue which you can read here.