Sheffield’s Leadmill wins first legal battle to avoid eviction from landlord

Historic live venue The Leadmill has won its first legal battle against its landlord following a threat of eviction.

In 2022, the future of the Sheffield venue was threatened after the building’s owners issued an eviction notice, sparking an outcry in the music and spectator industry.

The headquarters is owned by Electric Group – a joint venture between Dominic Madden and Jacob Lewis – which also owns Electric Brixton in London, SWX in Bristol and NX in Newcastle. They bought the freehold of the site in 2017 and have previously told music fans they have no intention of closing the venue when the current occupiers’ lease ends.

However, management soon hit back, claiming they had been “exterminated by the owner” before launching a new appeal to fans for support after revealing the owners were going ahead with eviction plans.

Madden then responded again, doubling down on his claims that he “intends to continue to operate the space as a music venue, focusing on a diverse mix of concerts, club nights and comedy events.”

Now, after taking the matter to court, it has been confirmed that The Leadmill is one step closer to winning its battle against the landlord.

The case was heard by Recorder Mohyuddin, solicitor King, at Leeds Business & Property Court on Monday and Tuesday (May 20 and 21). It comes after the venue changed its legal team and various documents were produced to explain why it believes the owner’s approach is illegal.

On appeal, the judge decided to transfer the case to the High Court and said he believed three of the four amended defenses put forward by The Leadmill had “a real prospect of success”.

In his final witness statement, Madden confirmed that if he were to succeed in his eviction, the space would no longer be called “The Leadmill” and all current staff would be replaced. He also stated that he would evict the users of the workshop if he succeeded, ending the leases of those still working at The Leadmill.

In response, The Leadmill claimed in a press release that such actions were “a breach of well-established principles of human rights law” and called for “the next government to take steps to prevent such bankrupt business practices moral to appear in the future”.

NME contacted an Electric Group spokesperson for comment.

While the future of the live music space still remains uncertain, the win comes in light of The Leadmill launching a ‘Battle For The Soul Of Sheffield’ campaign last summer in a bid to rally support as the venue fights for survival.

“This hostile takeover risks fundamentally and forever changing the course of our great city, our heritage and our culture. It may start with us at The Leadmill, but it goes much further than that.” a spokesperson said, announcing the campaign. “This hostile takeover threatens to trigger a race to the bottom for a company, jeopardizing over 43 years of heritage, history and community work in our city, its people and businesses.”

“This landlord is exploiting a legal loophole to evict and destroy a highly regarded independent Sheffield success story, forcing us to cease trading, all for profit. But it’s even worse than that,” they added. “It couldn’t be clearer. It’s not just about The Leadmill. This is a fundamental battle for the soul of Sheffield. That is why we are asking you to help us win this battle.”

Madden went on to defend his move, sharing a statement claiming the venue’s campaigns were “misleading people to think we want to close the venue without regard for its history”.

“It’s not necessary. In fact, we want to invest in the future of the space – albeit one that will mark the beginning of a new chapter for a building that has many generations of history, with a variety of different operators, since it was first a flour mill,” he. said.

Since opening its doors in 1980, the venue has hosted early shows from Arctic Monkeys, Kings Of Leon and The Killers and remains a popular live music and clubbing venue.

After news of its threat emerged in 2022, former Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn visited The Leadmill and encouraged others to “get behind it.

He also echoed the views of countless Sheffield locals, hailing it as the “heart of the city”, as well as the position held by the Arctic Monkeys, Jarvis Cocker and Bring Me The Horizon’s Oli Sykes among the Sheffield artists who s – they declared in support. of the venue.

Sheffield’s Richard Hawley has also been a vocal supporter of The Leadmill for years – having played a series of gigs there throughout 2022 to raise money and awareness. Some of his shows saw him on stage alongside fellow Sheffield artists Jarvis Cocker and Rebecca Taylor (aka Self Esteem).

Talking to NME about the history behind the venue last February, Hawley said the staff who built the venue over the years should be allowed to continue running it under the same name.

“The upsetting thing is, if it was a failed business, I would understand that someone would take it over. What pisses me off is that it doesn’t surprise me that the greedy bastards are buying the ground from under them. If they threw (the venue’s staff) out and turned it into apartments, it would be an absolute tragedy, but a little easier to accept,” he said.

“The fact that what they’ve done is basically bought the land out from under them, issued them an eviction notice and are going to steal their business. This to me is extremely immoral. If I were running a location or even a chip shop, I’d think, “Wait a minute, if they get away with these, then who’s next?” It’s just wrong.”