US filmmaker Hopwood DePree loses High Court battle against council over ancestral 60-room mansion; after securing Hopwood Hall for £1, he spent £750,000 restoring it before being locked out in 2024
American filmmaker Hopwood DePree has lost his High Court battle to regain access to his ancestral 60-room mansion in England, ending a long-running dispute with Rochdale Borough Council over the future of the historic property.DePree, 56, had spent almost a decade trying to restore the 15th-century Hopwood Hall in Middleton after believing he had secured the property for just £1. According to SWNS, he invested around £750,000 in repairs and restoration work before the council barred him from the building in 2024.The legal dispute centred on planning permission and the terms of an agreement reached between DePree and the council in 2017.
How the £1 deal for Hopwood Hall came about
The US filmmaker spent nearly a decade trying to restore his ancestral mansion. (Photo: SWNS)
DePree began working on the restoration project in 2013, motivated in part by family stories about his ancestors living at the historic manor.By 2017, an agreement had been reached under which Hopwood Hall would be transferred to DePree for £1 once the necessary planning permission had been secured.Encouraged by the agreement, DePree settled in the UK, established the Hopwood Foundation and began working to revive the Grade II-listed building.The hall had stood derelict for decades, with broken windows and leaking walls. The cost of fully restoring the property has been estimated at between £30 million and £40 million.
Planning permission became the centre of the dispute
Hopwood DePree reportedly invested around £750,000 restoring the derelict property. (Photo: SWNS)
The property subsequently became the subject of a dispute over how it should ultimately be used.DePree envisioned using the restored hall for events, weddings and tours, while the council wanted the historic property to serve the wider community.In October 2022, planning permission was granted for the site to accommodate events, hospitality, tours, education, cafés and shops.However, the court heard that the 2017 transfer agreement was no longer considered sufficient following changes to the planning permission. A second transfer application was therefore required.That application was never made, and in 2024 Rochdale Borough Council closed the property to DePree.
Council and filmmaker offered different interpretations of the agreement
Hopwood Hall was at the centre of a long-running dispute with Rochdale council. (Photo: SWNS)
The dispute eventually escalated into a High Court case, with both sides presenting different interpretations of the original agreement.The council argued that DePree’s planning application did not go far enough to constitute the detailed planning permission required for the proposed refurbishment. It also argued that he had failed to provide an adequate business plan, a claim DePree disputed.DePree’s legal team, meanwhile, argued that the 2017 agreement did not require planning permission covering every element of the extensive restoration project. They maintained that the work was always intended to progress in stages and that the council had failed to honour its obligation to transfer the hall.The High Court ultimately ruled against DePree.
Judge acknowledges DePree’s commitment to the restoration
During the judgment, Judge Hodge acknowledged DePree’s commitment to the historic property.The judge said that during his cross-examination, “there was no disguise to his enthusiasm or commitment to bringing Hopwood back to life”.However, the judge also found that DePree did not answer questions properly when he was being pressed during the proceedings.The filmmaker is expected to appeal the decision, the court heard.The case has also left DePree facing substantial legal costs, reportedly estimated at between £70,000 and £114,000.
Council says Hopwood Hall should benefit the wider community
Following the judgment, a spokesperson for Rochdale Borough Council said it was pleased with the outcome but described the legal battle as costly.“We are pleased with the judgement but it is a shame that we had to endure a costly court battle,” the spokesperson said.The council added that Hopwood Hall would be “used for the benefit of the wider community”.DePree, meanwhile, described the ruling as a major disappointment for those who had supported the restoration effort.“This is of course incredibly disappointing and a huge blow to our community, our supporters around the world, as well as the UK’s charitable heritage rescue groups in general,” he said.For nearly a decade, DePree’s campaign to save Hopwood Hall had brought international attention to the neglected historic property. The High Court ruling now leaves the future ownership and restoration of the 15th-century mansion in the hands of the council, subject to any appeal.
