Sheffield Leadmill landlord granted venue shadow licence

The Leadmill first opened in 1980 and has seen concerts from household names including Coldplay, Oasis, Arctic Monkeys and The Stone Roses

The landlord of well-known Sheffield live music venue The Leadmill have been granted a shadow premises licence.

Sheffield City Council approved the application by MVL Properties, the landlord of the club, saying they had demonstrated they could "uphold all four of the licensing objectives".

The venue was bought by Electric Group in 2017, who in 2022 served an eviction notice on the tenants The Leadmill Ltd.

The council said the premises remained able to open and run as normal.

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Following the decision, The Leadmill Ltd said "the future of The Leadmill and its staff is far from over", adding it was "considering our next steps over the coming few days".

A council spokesperson said: "The granting of this licence does not affect the current premises licence held by the venue. It allows the second party to run the venue under this 'shadow licence' if the current premises licence were to be revoked or surrendered."

Since it opened in 1980 the venue has hosted performances from acts including Coldplay, Oasis, Arctic Monkeys and The Stone Roses.

A protest took place outside Sheffield Town Hall ahead of the licensing meeting on Monday

The licensing committee meeting followed an ongoing dispute between the club's operators - Phil Mills and The Leadmill Ltd - and Electric Group, run by Dominic Madden.

The Leadmill Ltd has claimed it would "no longer exist" if it is forced out and is behind a long-running public "Save the Leadmill" campaign.

Mr Madden, however, previously said the venue was "incredibly important [and] it's not going anywhere".

He has been approached for comment by the BBC following the council decision.

Leader of Sheffield City Council, Tom Hunt, said The Leadmill was "a much-loved venue which has hosted some of the world's best bands" which held an "important place in our city's music scene".

He said: "The application for a shadow licence was approved because the council's Licensing Sub Committee found that the applicants demonstrated they could uphold all four of the licensing objectives.

"As a statutory Licensing Authority, the council has a legal duty to be fair, unbiased and treat each licence application the same. The application for a shadow licence for 'The Leadmill' by MVL Properties 2017 Ltd was treated impartially and the case was considered on its own merits."

An appeal against the decision can be made to a magistrates' court within 21 days, the local authority said.

The Sheffield venue and its distinctive neon sign is difficult to miss on Leadmill Road

The Electric Group, which manages other music venues in Brixton and Bristol, previously said it planned to run the Leadmill itself and "ensure it remains an inclusive, vibrant music and arts venue".

In a statement, The Leadmill Ltd said "all scheduled events will still go ahead as planned".

"We would like to take this moment to give a shout out to all of our incredible staff who have continued to put their heart and soul into their jobs despite having this hanging over them for the last 18 months," it said.

"It is taking its toll and we are doing everything we can to help with the strain on their mental health."

It added: "We remain defiant against a London landlord trying to get his hands on one of Sheffield's cultural assets in such a cheap and underhand way."

What is a shadow licence?

• Premises offering regulated entertainment and the sale of alcohol are required to be licensed under the Licensing Act 2003

• A premises licence is valid for the life of the business supplying alcohol and/or regulated entertainment

• The term "shadow licence" is often used to describe a premises licence which is granted to a second party when a premises licence is already in place for a venue

• It would allow the second party to run the venue under that "shadow licence" if the original premises licence were to be revoked or surrendered

Source: Sheffield City Council