Sheffield's The Leadmill is not going anywhere, say landlords

The Sheffield venue first opened in 1980

Landlords of one of Sheffield's most popular nightclubs have confirmed they want to run The Leadmill as it is.

In March 2022, venue bosses were served with an eviction notice by building owners Electric Group, requiring them to quit the building the following year.

In a statement, The Leadmill's managers claimed landlords were "planning to evict us and close us down".

Electric Group bosses said the venue was "always going to be The Leadmill".

Years of dispute between the club's managers and Electric Group, which bought the building in 2017, have still not been resolved.

The eviction news sparked tenants to launch the #WeCantLoseLeadmill campaign which the building owners called "ironic".

CEO of Brixton-based Electric Group, Dominic Madden told BBC Radio Sheffield: "We think The Leadmill is incredibly important, it's not going anywhere.

"Ironically 'Save The Leadmill' - well, we actually did that in 2016, from being knocked down."

Mr Madden said the campaign was "unnecessarily worrying people", however, managers, who have owned the Leadmill brand for more than four decades, disagreed.

In their latest statement, they said: "People should be worried.

"The Leadmill is being forced out onto the street, and out of business."

The current management called the change of ownership a "hostile takeover" and an "extermination" of the club's hard-won reputation.

They claimed that in the seven years since the Electric Group bought the bricks and mortar, they "have not spent a single penny" on the building itself.

Ahead of a shadow licensing hearing on 18 September, the tenants have now launched a new campaign, urging residents to contact Sheffield City Council leader Tom Hunt.

However, Mr Hunt said the council could not directly intervene in the legal process between the landlord and tenant.

He said: "As leader of the council and as a Sheffield resident, I know how loved The Leadmill is by many people and I understand the strength of feeling.

"The council does not own the building but over the last year, we have engaged with both parties and remain willing to do so."

A legal dispute remains ongoing but Mr Madden said Electric Group would "do everything we can" to protect existing jobs at The Leadmill.

Electric Group said they hoped to end the dispute with tenants by spring 2024.