Two days that will decide the future of Hopwood Hall

The battle for Hopwood Hall returns to the courtroom today with ownership of the historic manor house at stake.

Hopwood DePree and Rochdale Council begin a two-day trial in the High Court in Manchester later over Mr DePree’s bid to restore his ancestral home.

Mr DePree is a descendant of the Hopwood family which build the manor house in the 1420s. The family owned the hall and surrounding land — which is now Hopwood Hall College — until 1922. The house was sold 20 years later.

It was occupied by a variety of temporary residents, including the de la Salle Brothers, who ran it as a Catholic teacher training college until the 1980s. It had fallen into disrepair and was bought by Rochdale Council, which still owns the Grade II-listed property.

The legal action initiated by Mr DePree was launched after he spent seven years working with the council to carry out vital repairs on the dilapidated site with a view to purchasing it.

In November, 2024, the council ended its exclusivity agreement with Mr DePree, and said it would explore other options because no “commercially viable” business model had been presented.

Mr DePree’s case is that the council went back on his option to purchase Hopwood Hall upon planning permission being granted in 2022. His claim is that the agreement triggers have been satisfied and the council must proceed with the ownership transfer.

The council says it does not comment on ongoing legal cases.

Mr DePree added: “The last couple of years since Rochdale Council locked out our team from Hopwood Hall has been very challenging, not only for me personally, but more importantly for the community volunteers and all those who have helped and supported our concerted efforts to bring the Hall and its grounds back into use for all.

“When locking us out in November, 2024, Rochdale Council made repeated claims that it would step-in as the responsible custodian of Hopwood Hall and carry the project forward.

“But the intervening two years seem to show a very different picture with our award-winning community gardens having fallen into rack and ruin, showing a disturbing repeat pattern by the council.

“We also have no idea of the current state of the fabric of the Hall. Frankly it’s hugely worrying and incredibly sad that Rochdale Council continues to fight against the one group of people who have poured their heart and soul into this project and had achieved so much.”

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