Another Leadmill battle down, only one more to go

Good afternoon readers — and welcome to our Monday briefing.

While the big showdown over the future of The Leadmill isn’t supposed to happen until December, another smaller battle in this years-long war was quietly fought at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court last week. To recap: The Leadmill (venue), currently run by Phil Mills, is in the process of fighting its eviction from The Leadmill (building) by its landlord Dominic Madden, who wants to run his own venue there. Last September, Sheffield Council agreed to grant Madden a “shadow licence,” which will allow him to start running his venue immediately if the eviction is successful.

Mills, unsurprisingly, was unhappy about this decision and, last week, attempted to convince a judge that the council had made a huge mistake. The legal eagle drafted in to fight his case? Phil Mills. That’s today’s big story.

As well as that, The Times rounds up the Peak District’s best hotels and a local venue takes a controversial stand.

Catch up

For our weekend read, Dan made like Dr Seuss’ The Lorax and spoke for the trees, in a piece full of interesting tidbits. For example, did you know that the infamous scandal of recent years wasn’t the first time the council got in hot water over trying to chop down trees? In the 70s, it planned to clear, fell and re-plant Ecclesall Woods with exotic red oaks. You can still read the piece here.  

Last week, our paying subscribers also received two extra editions of The Tribune, both written by Victoria. In the first, she spoke to self-described “deeply boring man” Peter MacQueen, for what turned out to be a very interesting piece about the UK’s only packaging professional apprenticeship, offered by Sheffield Hallam. In the second, she did some digging into what might be one of the city’s most reviled companies — private car park operators Excel Parking — and spoke to the Facebook vigilantes praying for its downfall. 

Editor’s note: When I mention I work for The Tribune, one of the stories people are most likely to have read is Victoria’s long read about The Leadmill. As a relatively new reporter on the Sheffield scene at the time, it sent out a clear message (she wasn’t to be messed with) and her article, which showed the other side of one of the city’s biggest stories, changed a lot of minds. It showed that the somewhat old-fashioned style of journalism that we love at The Tribune (taking lots of time, speaking to lots of people) can give much deeper insight than simply replaying what people are churning out in their press releases.

If you want to help us get to the bottom of what’s really going on in Sheffield, there’s a great way to do it — become a member today.

A host of local produce under one roof

Ian Proctor set up the Mesters Market in Leah's Yard to bring local produce together under one roof. "It's the food equivalent of the little mesters", he says. Ian stocks some of the more well known local brands, like Abbeydale Brewery and Yorkshire Crisps, as well as offering exciting new businesses like Fennels Ice Cream their first retail outlet. With 95% of the products coming from small makers in S postcodes, and over 30 suppliers, you don't need to go far to shop local. It's also the perfect spot for a city centre lunch - with bread and pastries from Four Eyes Patisserie and arancini from Heart of Sicily.

Next door, Ian also runs the Yard Gallery, featuring work produced by a mix of better and lesser known local artists - a community interest company, with profits put back into supporting local talent.

To find out more about the amazing community of local makers based in Leah's Yard, click here or pop down from 10-5 Monday - Saturday, or 11-4 on Sundays.

This is a sponsored post by Leah’s Yard.

The big picture: Makers and morris dancers 🪗

Crookes Market returned at the weekend, giving Sheffield City Morris a chance to show off their snazzy green trousers. 

The big story: Another Leadmill battle down, only one more to go

Top line: The tug-of-war over The Leadmill has now been raging for more than two years and, last week, building owner Dominic Madden scored a point against his determined opponent Phil Mills, who has owned a venue in the building since the 1990s. While the decisive court battle isn’t due to take place until December, Mills appeared at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court last week, hoping to convince a judge that Madden is not fit to run a venue in the famous building.

The shadow licence: Last September, Sheffield Council granted Dominic Madden a “shadow licence” for The Leadmill building — a licence to run a venue there which would allow Madden to get his new business up and running immediately, provided he can force Mills out. At the time, as we reported in some detail, Mills and his allies argued this was a huge mistake. 

• At last year’s hearing, The Leadmill Ltd presented the council with hundreds of pages detailing issues at venues owned by Madden — located in London, Bristol and Newcastle — which they claimed proved that a Sheffield venue with him at the helm would immediately spiral out of control.
• In an impassioned speech, Matthew Renshaw, whose business rents office space in The Leadmill building, described Madden as a “vulture capitalist” posing “a credible threat to the area”. He referenced a mural above the doors to The Leadmill, which shows two people holding a bass and a trumpet. “I would like to ask Mr Madden what he would put on display. Would it be a hand holding a bag of drugs? A dripping knife?”
• The bundle of evidence included news reports of crimes that had taken place at or on the street outside of Madden’s venues, although a frequently-referenced sexual assault at the Bristol venue actually took place just before he purchased it. It also contained page after page of negative online reviews of the venues.
• In his defence, Madden pointed out that none of his other venues had ever been subject to a review of their licence, which police forces can request if they worry a venue is becoming a hotbed of crime. “In fact,” he told the hearing, “I have taken over premises that have been subject to operational difficulties and turned them around.”

The appeal: Last week, Mills attempted to convince District Judge Tim Spruce to overrule the council’s decision, relying on the same gargantuan bundle presented at the licensing hearing last year as his main evidence. Mills chose to legally represent himself and initially attempted to argue that last week’s hearing should be adjourned, since he’d had “insufficient time to prepare”. The judge rejected this argument, pointing out that the hearing had been scheduled all the way back in March. 

As well as claiming Madden’s track record at his other venues prove he should not be trusted to operate in Sheffield, Mills argued that the council was biased in Madden’s favour. He claimedthe decision to grant the licence was “predetermined,” since the council was “fearful of repercussions” from Madden if they refused. 

‘Wholly unsubstantiated’: District Judge Spruce rejected this argument as “wholly unsubstantiated and without foundation,” writing: “Claims of a predetermined decision and bias are completely without any proper evidential basis and, in reality, are nothing more than bald assertions.”

The bundle: District Judge Spruce also seemed unimpressed by the hundreds of pages of “exclusively negative reviews” he was given to look at. “They are reports which are unsubstantiated and unsupported by first hand accounts,” he writes and thus no more than “hearsay evidence”. He pointed out that Madden’s three other venues “continue to operate despite Mr Mills’ suggestion that those premises are a den of iniquity for rape, sexual assault, violence and the proliferation of drugs and anti-social behaviour,” which could only be the case if the authorities in all three areas had somehow been convinced to “turn a blind eye” to this host of alleged issues. 

“It is not dissimilar from the unevidenced proposition that I should conclude that the elected and appointed officers of Sheffield City Council are susceptible to bullying, manipulation and coercion,” he writes. “There is no evidential basis for that assertion, and it is, quite frankly, wrong to make it.”

The decision: Mills’ appeal was rejected. In his concluding remarks, District Judge Spruce writes that he has “real sympathy” for the man, who he feels has spent decades delivering “wonderful experiences to thousands of people,” himself included.

Nonetheless, District Judge Spruce writes that he could only grant Mills’ appeal if he was convinced that the council’s decision last year was wrong. “Against the criteria I have to apply, it is manifestly not.”

Bottom line: The final courtroom showdown between Mills and Madden will take place in December, when a judge will decide whether or not to force Mills out of the building. If Madden succeeds, it seems highly unlikely that Mills will agree to sell him The Leadmill trademark, meaning a venue with a new name will spring up in its place. Let us know what you think it should be called.

The weekly Whitworth ✏️

Cartoonist James Whitworth with his take on South Yorkshire Police’s financial woes.

This week’s weather 🌦️

Our weather forecast comes from dedicated Sheffield weather service Steel City Skies, who say it will be a changeable week, typical of autumn, with low pressure never too far away. Cooler from midweek with night frosts possible.

Monday 🌦 Showery start, with sunshine developing. Further showers later but feeling warm with highs of 18°C.

Tuesday 🌦 A damp and cloudy morning breaks to sunshine and scattered showers by the afternoon. Light SE winds and staying mild with highs of 17°C.

Wednesday 🌦 Limited brighter spells as a weather front slips back south. Further showers likely and turning cooler from the north with highs of 14°C.

Thursday 🌦 Chilly and breezy from the NNW with sunny spells and a few scattered showers developing. Highs of 11°C with overnight frost possible.

Friday 🌦 Similar, with a fresh feel to the air and some sunny spells. A few showers possible still with highs of 12°C and another cold night following.

Outlook: Further showers possible into the weekend, especially at first. A ridge of high pressure to the south may bring a milder and more settled end.

To see the full forecast and keep up to date with any changes to the outlook, follow Steel City Skies on Facebook.

Coming up

This week, our paying members will receive two extra editions of The Tribune. In the first, Victoria speaks to local photographer and photojournalist Laura Page about trying to tell the stories that too often go ignored, whether in Sheffield or Columbia. In the second, we ask what is being done to help the city’s problem gamblers, following the opening of a new clinic earlier this year. 

If you’d like to read those pieces (who wouldn’t?) join the burgeoning Tribune tribe today.

Our media picks 🔗

Hagglers in hot water 🏳️‍⚧️ Independent business hub and venue Hagglers Corner sparked outrage this weekend by removing local dance music pioneer Winston Hazel from the lineup for one of its events. On 21st September, Hazel attended a rally outside the Town Hall arranged by anti-trans activist Posie Parker and Hagglers Corner thus made the “difficult decision” to cancel his booking, writing on Facebook that “this decision was based on our values of inclusivity and our desire to create a space where everyone, including transgender people and marginalised communities, feels respected and safe.” In a lengthy statement posted on his own Facebook, Hazel was unapologetic, writing: “Any men fighting for their right to be in women-only spaces, are the very men that must be kept out of those spaces.”

Hospital admit failings in death of Sheffield mum 🏥 The grieving family of Lorette Divers has urged the NHS trust that runs Royal Hallamshire Hospital to learn from its mistakes, after the 30-year-old’s tragic death in November 2020. Lorette arrived at the hospital with stomach pain and a high temperature two days after suffering a miscarriage but, despite a midwife flagging that she could have sepsis, she was never assessed by a doctor and died nine hours later. The trust admits there were “aspects of her care which should have been done differently” and insists it has “made changes to limit the chances of this situation occurring again."

22 of the best hotels in the Peak District 🛏️ The Times has produced a guide to the best Peak District hotels, which could make a great staycation for Sheffield residents. The listicle makes the dubious claim that the Peak District has previously been “let down by a largely lacklustre selection of places to stay” — rude! — but is “finally getting the hotels it deserves,” thanks to a mix of makeovers and new arrivals. They’ve selected the best option for a wide range of different tastes, including those looking for a “youthful outdoorsy vibe” or those keen on “picture-book village charm”.

Home of the week 🏡

In the early 2000s, Brooklyn Works in Kelham Island was one of the first industrial buildings in the now trendy neighbourhood to become residential apartments. This one bed duplex has an open plan ground floor, a handy mezzanine level, and an allocated parking space. It is on the market for £170,000. Brooklyn Works were named after the factory’s historic links with the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City. As a result of these links, two residents once put forward a proposal to build a copy of the iconic bridge over Kelham Weir. It didn't go according to plan.

Tribune tips: If you want to tell us about a story or give us some information, please email editor@sheffieldtribune.co.uk. We are always happy to speak to people off the record, and we will treat your information with confidence and sensitivity.

Things to do 📆

Books 📚 Starting today and continuing for the next month is Off The Shelf, Sheffield’s annual festival of words. This is the 33rd edition of the festival and will feature talks and readings from world renowned authors and poets, famous folk off the telly, and a few locals. Highlights this year include comedians Julian Clary and Sara Pascoe, novelist and screenwriter David Nicholls, and renowned historian and broadcaster David Olusoga alongside his sibling Yinka Olusoga.

Music 🎹 The Leonore Piano Trio continues to trace the piano trio from its origins in works by Haydn, through the stately trios of Beethoven and onwards to the great Romantic masters. On Tuesday at the Crucible Playhouse, Robert Schumann’s Trio No.1 takes centre stage. From its restless, tumultuous opening full of brooding intensity, to its majestic, triumphant conclusion, this is an epic work full of romance and humanity. Doors open at 7pm and tickets are priced £5-£22.

Theatre 🎭 Opening on Wednesday night at the University of Sheffield’s Drama Studio is classic gothic horror Dracula. With a gender reversed cast to give the tale a new burst of life, the production delves into the full horror and tragedy of the story by including fake blood, violent scenes, gunfire, the death of an infant, and abusive treatment of people with mental illnesses. Doors open at 7.30pm and tickets are £11-£13. The show runs until Saturday, 12 October.

‘The kindest, most helpful person you could hope to know’

It has been announced that Sheffield tree campaigner and clean air advocate Graham Turnbull has died from a brain tumour at the age of just 57. Here, his friend and colleague in the tree campaign Chris Rust pays tribute to him.

He may have been born in Canada, but Sheffield lost a real friend last week. Graham Turnbull cared deeply about both community and environment and was the kindest, most helpful person you could hope to know. A true activist.

I met him on the street in 2016, early in the struggle to save Sheffield’s highway trees from misguided felling. Graham was one of the first to put his body on the front line, physically obstructing the fellings. It took real courage, often acting alone, but he and a few others brought the city council up short, starting the long battle that ended in vindication with the Lowcock Report seven years later.

Ever-practical, Graham created an information-gathering network so no movement by tree contractors was unobserved. He was also one of the brave people who went to the High Court to resist the council’s intimidating legal attack, at considerable personal risk, winning concessions that enabled us to keep up the fight.

Graham’s activism did not stop with trees, he created the Clean Air For Sheffield network. Of course he didn’t just campaign, he built and distributed affordable air pollution monitoring gadgets so ordinary people could gather vital information where they lived. Graham’s wide professional knowledge of technology and communication was always at the service of his friends and neighbours.

He was passionate about his family, endlessly kind, never ill-tempered and he will be missed by the many who loved him and the many more whose lives he touched.

Thanks to Leah’s Yard for sponsoring this week’s edition. Find out more about Leah’s Yard here, and if you want to know more about sponsoring a briefing, click here.