DEAR Cllr Doina Cornell, I wish to register my deep concern that Stroud Sub Rooms may fall into private ownership.

The Sub Rooms is Stroud’s premier venue and a hugely important community resource.

It is also a matter of pressing concern that the square in front of the Subs is included in any potential sale, public spaces such as this are also a vital - and increasingly rare - asset to our communities.

As a Stroud resident, I very much value the wide range of events staged by the Sub Rooms, as well as the information centre and café, both of which I use regularly.

But on a more personal note, and speaking as a committee member of Stroud Book Festival, it would be a huge shame if we were not able to stage future book festival events at the Sub Rooms.

Last year, we held sell-out events there with both Jilly Cooper and Ian McEwan.

Next year, we have ambitions to bring big name authors to Stroud who would pull in similar sized audiences.

I feel strongly that a premier event such as the Book Festival, which is a very important one for the town culturally needs a big enough stage to give it the profile it deserves, and that stage is the Sub Rooms.

In private ownership, there is no guarantee of access to the venue for such events (of which the Book Festival is only one throughout the year), and for that reason too I am strongly against a private sale.

Caroline Sanderson

Stroud