Three organisations have bid to take over the Phoenix Arts centre building.

The venue is to be replaced by the £21m Phoenix Square film and digital media centre, opening in November.

But organisations interested in taking over the original cinema and music venue, in Upper Brown Street, Leicester, are being given the chance to take it over on a five-year lease.

Leicester City Council would not reveal the identities of the three bidders.

However, Leicester College has confirmed it is one of the organisations in the running, and Stride, a social enterprise which works with disadvantaged young people to provide training, along with musicians who used the original venue, has also put in a bid.

Julian Wright, 62, of the Save the Phoenix Campaign, said: "Whoever gets this five-year tenancy has a massive responsibility to keep it popular, to make sure the building stays open for all that time and beyond that.

"All their efforts must be to preserve this iconic gem of Leicester's culture."

A Leicester College spokesman would only say: "The college has put in a bid for the building. We are not in a position to reveal more information about the bid at this time."

Leicester City Council's deadline for submissions on how the building could be put to good use passed more than four weeks ago, but no decision has been made so far.

Officials said they were still reviewing the proposals and have not given a date for when a decision will be made.

A spokesman for Leicester City Council said: "Submissions are being reviewed and will be reported to members shortly to decide how to move forward."

Phoenix Arts was built in the early 1960s as a temporary home for live theatre in the city but has since become a venue for contemporary arts and film.

Phoenix Square, which is nearing completion in Leicester's Cultural Quarter, will be opened to the public on November 19.

Earlier this year, hundreds of people signed a petition calling for the original centre to stay open as a music venue.

Stuart Bailey, chairman of Leicester Civic Society, is supporting the campaign to keep the venue as for performing arts.

He said: "We hope the people who take it on can really make a go of it so that the theatre doesn't die.

"We're fully supportive of the Save the Phoenix Campaign and we hope it will be reclaimed for performing arts, of which there is a shortage in the city centre."