The current operator of The Leadmill in Sheffield has confirmed that he has lost his eviction battle with landlord The Electric Group. However, he says he remains “committed to exhausting every possible legal avenue” before vacating the building that has housed the venue since 1980, adding that “The Leadmill isn’t just bricks and mortar; it’s a home”. To that end, he’s optimistic that the latest legal developments won’t affect any upcoming shows.
Following reports that a judge had ruled against the current Leadmill team, led by Phil Mills, in their legal dispute with The Electric Group, that team posted a statement on social media yesterday evening that reads, “The Leadmill today acknowledges the court’s recent ruling against us in our ongoing legal dispute with our landlord. While this is a challenging and upsetting moment for our venue, we want to reassure our supporters, artists and the wider community that there is no immediate timeline for what happens next”.
The team, the statement adds, are now consulting their legal advisors to “assess our next steps”, and “we remain committed to exhausting every possible legal avenue to secure our future, retain our staff and protect our venue”. On more practical matters, the statement says, “if you hold a ticket to an event with us, please know that this is going ahead unless we say otherwise and that we shall be in touch as soon as possible if any events are affected”.
For its part, The Electric Group - which already runs venues in London, Bristol and Newcastle, and now wants to take over the running of The Leadmill building, which it acquired in 2016 - has welcomed the ruling in the eviction case which, it says, “paves the way for a bright future” at the Sheffield venue.
A spokesperson told CMU: “We welcome the court’s consideration and careful decision to award a possession order for the Leadmill; an important ruling following difficult legal proceedings. The successful legal outcome paves the way for a bright future for this venue, ensuring it will receive the substantial investment it needs to thrive. It will continue to be a cornerstone of the live music scene in Sheffield, supporting artists, fans and community projects for the next 100 years”.
The Electric Group told Mills in 2022 that it wanted to directly run The Leadmill space and gave him and his team a year to vacate the premises. However, it quickly became clear he had no intention of leaving quietly. Mills launched a high profile Save The Leadmill campaign and, when The Electric Group began formal eviction proceedings, also started battling his landlord through the courts.
The eviction case ended up in the Leeds Business & Property Court last year. Although Mills has enjoyed a lot of support from artists and the local music community in Sheffield throughout the Save The Leadmill campaign, it did feel like The Electric Group’s legal arguments were stronger in court.
But, continues that latest statement from Mills and his team, “this is more than just a legal battle - it’s personal”, because The Leadmill “isn’t just bricks and mortar; it’s a home”. Many members of the team, it goes on, “have grown up here, worked here for over fifteen years and dedicated our lives to creating incredible events and experiences”.
Adding that the “overwhelming public support” that venue’s current team have received has been “invaluable”, the statement concludes with another rallying call. “We are real people, with a deep love for what we do, and we never imagined we’d be facing something like this”, it says. “But we are in it together, doing everything we can to fight for the place that means so much to us and to so many others”.
“The Leadmill is more than just a venue”, it goes on, “it is a cultural institution with a 45 year history of nurturing artists, supporting grassroots music, and providing a vital space for creativity in Sheffield and beyond”. To that end, “we urge our supporters to stay engaged, continue to stand with us, and follow our official channels for further updates as we navigate the next phase of this battle”.
Although the Save The Leadmill campaign is clearly not over, Mills has previously indicated that he might set up another venue in an alternative location - possibly even another city - if he is ultimately forced to leave his current building. He has also pledged to “gut” that building if he is forced to leave, so that the landlord will have to replace equipment and fittings before reopening the space, although Sheffield City Council has denied Mills planning permission to knock down a toilet block as part of that process.