The dispute over the future of iconic Sheffield live music venue rumbles on

It's following a statement published by the venue on social media yesterday

Author: Chris Davis-SmithPublished 18th May 2023
Last updated 18th May 2023

The landlord of Sheffield's iconic venue - The Leadmill - says they have no plan to shut it and that they want to invest in the future of the space.

It comes after the club put a post on Instagram last night saying the site is still under threat - with a new licence being applied for by the Electric Group.

Dominic Madden, CEO of Electric Group, said this to us in a statement:

“We have owned the Leadmill premises since 2017. With the current lease coming to an end, Electric Group has applied for a licence application as part of the transition process. As we have always maintained, we intend to continue operating the space as a music venue, focussing on a diverse mix of gigs, club nights and comedy events.

"We’re an independent music venue operator which is committed to music and investing in venues. We have been running licensed venues since 2003 and have never had any issue or license review.

"Our venues in London, Newcastle and Bristol host hundreds of gigs and events every year for thousands of music fans.

"Our team has many years of experience running venues, producing theatre and promoting gigs. When we purchased the freehold for the Leadmill in 2017 it was threatened with redevelopment into flats.

"We didn’t want that to happen, so we stepped in to buy it and save it – something the leaseholder was not prepared to do. The current Leadmill campaign is unfortunately misleading people into thinking we want to close the venue with no regard for its history.

"That is not the case. In fact, we want to invest in the future of the space – albeit one which will mark the start of a new chapter for a building which has many generations of history with a variety of different operators since it was first a flour mill.

"We hope to be a great custodian of the venue for the next generation. We recognise the roots of the Leadmill within the community and we are determined to see it succeed and thrive.”

Yesterday - on social media - the Leadmill posted the following statement on their channels:

"Our landlords are moving forward with their plans to evict the Leadmill by applying for a premises licence.

"If granted, this would allow them to operate their own business from this location.

"This could result in the Leadmill ceasing to exist after 43 years.

"We are asking for your help in objecting to their licence application before Wednesday 24th May.

"For more information, please visit www.leadmill.co.uk/object"

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