Following the official opening of the new Stroud Library, Gloucestershire County Council is now in a position to engage with communities over the future of the old library and neighbouring former Spiritualist Church in Stroud.
Last year the county council committed to dispose of the buildings via a transparent bidding application and assessment process. For the former Spiritualist Church, this would be up until the current lease expires in 2027 as this building is not owned by the council. The lease will be offered to community or charitable organisations. For the former library, this will be sold in accordance with the requirements of the ‘Assets of Community Value (England) Regulations’, giving potential bidders six months to put together a bid.
To start the process, interested parties are being invited to an event that will provide further information on the timeline for interest, condition of the buildings, existing leasing arrangements and display the plans of the buildings. This is to ensure any community groups thinking of bidding for the buildings have full awareness of the conditions and terms associated with the premises before making a decision to bid.
The drop-in event will be taking place from 3pm-5pm on Monday 19 August 2024 at the new Stroud Library with staff from the county council on hand to answer questions.
Cllr Lynden Stowe, deputy leader of Gloucestershire County Council and cabinet member for finance and change, said: “We know there are strong feelings in the community about the future of these two buildings. We want to be able to present all the facts and figures on the establishments in advance of the bidding process so anyone thinking about bidding has as much information as possible.”
The session is a drop-in, but those who can’t attend can set up a call with officers by registering their interest at building.helpdesk@gloucestershire.gov.uk