A well-known energy company is among nine candidates to have expressed an interest in running a historic arts and entertainment venue in Gloucestershire.

The contenders to manage the Subscription Rooms (pictured) in the town include Stroud-based renewable green energy business Ecotricity.

Stroud District Council said the following groups had officially put their names forward to take over the venue amid uncertainty about its future:

• Cheltenham Trust

• Ecotricity

• George Square Rooms

• Malvern Cube

• MultiMedia Outsourcing UK

• Stroud Community Co Op

• Stroud Town Council

• Subs Community Association

• Stroud Valleys Artspace

The council said there was no obligation for any of the above to put in a bid, and additional organisations may come forward before the 31 August deadline to bid.

The announced last year that it had to reduce the £400,000 annual costs associated with running the Sub Rooms, built in 1833, in order to meet financial pressures.

The three options it was looking at were: keeping the building under council control; allowing another organisation to run the Sub Rooms as a public arts and cultural facility; or to sell it on the open market.

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Picture credit: geography; Copyright Philip Pankhurst  and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.