Leicestershire town left without LGBT safe space after closure of bar

LGBTQ+ people in the Leicestershire town of Melton Mowbray have been left without a safe space after the closure of Charlie’s Bar on 1^st January 2025. The bar, which was once housed in a Grade II listed building, has remained empty since, with LGBTQ+ community members saying they’re struggling to find another “real base” to meet, even a year later.

Although Charlie’s Bar was not explicitly as gay bar, former patrons said that the venue acted as a hub or safe space for the town’s small LGBTQ+ community.

"It's not necessarily that I didn't feel safe in the town, it was just, this was a safe space where you knew you would be looked after and protected," said 48-year-old Hazel Paterson. "It was a devastating loss for us all... nowhere has really replaced that."

Paterson also pointed to last year’s Melton Pride, as an example of what the community had lost with the closure of the bar.

"It was up at the country park, but I feel it should have been in the town, front and centre, and made a bit more accessible," she said. "Charlie's Bar would have been a brilliant hub for that...but sadly it's kind of dissipated.

"The bar was the centre of the web for a lot of communities beyond just the LGBT community."

The venue closed after the leaseholder of 5 King Street, who sub-let it, handed the lease back to Melton Borough Council. The council ruled that it would cost the taxpayer too much money to act as a landlord, and instead agreed to sell the building at a cabinet meeting in December 2024.

Hazel Paterson is not the only person who shared her frustration that the building has remained empty and un-used when it could have continued serving as an LGBTQ+ centre or hub for the community.

Charlie Donovan (35), who ran the bar, said: "It's a big shame. I tried to make it as comfortable, as safe as possible, and doing that just brought everybody in, the range of people that came in was just amazing."

In a joint-statement on the progress of the sale, councillors Sharon Butcher and Sarah Cox said assessment work was ongoing, and no timeframe for the sale could be shared until this work was complete.

"We know this building holds great importance for our community...we have carried out a detailed conservation assessment to understand its condition and the work required to restore it.

"The building has not yet been sold while the council completes this assessment work.

"Specialists have assessed the building's significance and explored how it could be used in the future for community benefit."