The Leadmill: Court battle over Sheffield venue’s future begins

The number of accessories and fittings that could be removed was “very extensive”, he added.

These included the main dance floor, a toilet block and a ventilation system which could result in the need for a new roof if removed.

“If those fixtures and fittings are removed, it’s probably no exaggeration to say the site would be left as a fragile shell, a bit like the old flour mill it once was,” added Mr Trompeter.

A report, commissioned by The Leadmill Ltd’s legal team, estimated the subsequent cost of bringing the venue back into operation would be around £4.7m – a cost Mr Madden failed to demonstrate he could afford , said Mr. Trompeter.

Representing Mr Madden, Mr Clark said his client had access to a £2m loan to pay for improvements “plus more if he needed it”.

Regarding the potential dismantling of the venue, he added: “I have never, ever come across a wall and a roof that are part of a tenant’s bodies.”

In response to a claim by Mr Trompeter that Electric Group would not be able to meet its legal obligation to open and run the site in time because of the “improvements” required, Mr Clark said: “We are ready to get in and run. our own business”.

At the start of the hearing, The Leadmill Ltd’s legal team requested an adjournment on the grounds that it needed more time to respond to evidence presented by Mr Madden’s legal team and a new team of venue lawyers who presented new arguments.

Judge David Mohyuddin KC said he would decide whether to adjourn the hearing on Tuesday morning.