Venue seeks permission to appeal against eviction

The tenants of The Leadmill music venue in Sheffield have applied for permission to appeal against the decision to evict them.

Last month a judge ruled that the venue's owners, Electric Group, should be allowed to take over the much-loved 900-capacity building and run it themselves.

The Leadmill Ltd said it was wrong for a landlord to profit from "the tenant's hard work" and the appeal was an "important test case" for all business tenants.

A Court of Appeal spokesperson said: "We are processing the application and awaiting documents before it can be referred to a judge to consider the application."

Guidance from the Court of Appeal says permission to appeal "will only be given if your appeal has a real prospect of succeeding or there is some other compelling reason for the appeal to be heard".

According to the guidance, the grounds of appeal within the application must state why the lower court decision is wrong or unjust.

The Leadmill said: "This is an important test case affecting every business tenant in the country.

"We say that it is wrong to be forced out of business by a no-fault eviction, while the landlord profits from the tenant's hard work in building up a valuable business over many years."

An Electric Group spokesperson declined to comment.

As it stands, the Leadmill must leave the venue by June, although it is understood that date could be pushed back if permission to appeal is granted.

The venue's website features bookings until December.

Electric Group director Dominic Madden told the eviction hearing that under his ownership the venue "will be a slightly more polished, probably modernised, version of the same thing".

"It will still be hosting concerts and nightclub events [but] it's different insofar as it's plugged into a national network of music venues."

The Electric Group runs existing venues in London, Bristol and Newcastle.

Mr Madden said the venue could be operational under his ownership by September after a fit-out, although the Leadmill's sole director Phil Mills had said he would strip the venue of its fixtures and fittings in the case of eviction.

In January, Sheffield City Council approved an application from MVL Properties, owned by Electric Group, to remove Leadmill signage painted on the side of the building and replace it with the word Sheffield.

The Leadmill Ltd owns the trademark for the venue's name and logo, meaning the venue will likely be renamed under the Electric Group.

The BBC understands a final decision on a new name for the site, on Leadmill Road, is yet to be made.

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