The Tourist Information Centre (TIC) is moving out of the Subscription Rooms - and might be shut down entirely.

Its and staff's fate is on the agenda of a Stroud District Council meeting this week after the potential new owner of the Subs - Stroud Town Council - kept the TIC out of its plans for the entertainment venue.

Both councils are currently negotiating a deal to keep the 19th century building in public hands via a transfer, the deadline for wrapping up being March 2019.

Three permanent staff work at the TIC - and all would be out of a job when the transfer deal is done if district councillors vote for that option on Thursday.

With the box office of the Subs no longer a possible home, district councillors will decide whether to close the TIC and instead provide grants to individual parishes to set up their own tourism centres.

At the moment the TIC provides tourist information for the whole of the Stroud district, not just the town, unlike some centres in, for instance, Nailsworth.

However, district councillors also have the option of relocating the centre - and its staff - to a new building.

Meanwhile Stroud Town Council, which wants to turn the TIC space into a bar or cafe, is considering setting up a new, Stroud-specific centre at the train station.

A spokesperson for Stroud Town Council said: “The TIC is currently in the Subscription Rooms but will need to be moved when the building is transferred to Town Council ownership and the business is taken over by Stroud Subscription Rooms Trust.

“The Charity Commission has advised the Trust that, under charity regulations, it would not be permitted to run the TIC.”

A spokesperson for Stroud District Council said: “Stroud Town Council did not include provision for a TIC in its bid to take over Stroud Subscription Rooms.

“Stroud District Council is proposing making £14,000-worth of grants to town councils including Stroud Town Council, to boost plans for developing more local TICs. It is hoped that the Town Council will make the most of this opportunity.

“Tourism websites and online booking have reduced demand for this kind of district-wide TIC currently in place.

“Stroud District Council is a self-financing council and has to make savings to balance the books. The loss of any posts is taken very seriously and those staff affected have been fully consulted.”