Hopwood DePree, a 55-year-old American actor, is taking Rochdale Council to the High Court after being locked out of his ancestral home, Hopwood Hall, a Grade II* listed building in Middleton. DePree has been leading restoration efforts since 2017 under an option agreement with the council, but claims the authority suddenly locked the gates in November 2023 without warning.
DePree, who moved to England from California and sold his house to fund the project, said he has spent hundreds of thousands of pounds of his own money on the renovation. He described the council's actions as 'devastating', noting that volunteers had transformed the gardens into award-winning ones. The actor said he had 'no confidence' in the council's ability to secure the building's future.
Under the 2017 agreement, DePree had the option to buy the hall for a nominal fee if he produced a viable business model and detailed planning permission. The council stated that despite several renewals, a viable business case and funding strategy had not been forthcoming, leading to the decision to end the agreement.
DePree's lawyer, Nick Wells, said evidence obtained through freedom of information requests suggests the council changed its position since 2017. Wells is asking the High Court to hold the council to its original decisions. DePree said he felt 'left with no choice but to sue' after nearly 11 months of trying to resolve the dispute.
DePree, who once won a Warner Bros deal for a TV show, grew up hearing stories of Hopwood Hall from his grandfather. He first visited in 2013 and moved to the UK in 2017 to save the building from being lost forever. Rochdale Council declined to comment on ongoing legal proceedings.
