Court Hearing Set in Hopwood Hall Estate Dispute
- Hopwood Radio
- Jan 15
- 2 min read
A court hearing in the ongoing dispute between Mr. DePree and Rochdale Council has been scheduled for Monday, 19 January, at the Manchester Civil Justice Centre.
The case follows a series of events surrounding the management and future of Hopwood Hall Estate, a Grade II* listed historic property in Rochdale. In 2024, Rochdale Council barred Mr. DePree and a group of volunteers from the estate, citing health and safety concerns. The council said volunteers were carrying out work inside the listed building without appropriate training, expertise, or supervision.
Mr. DePree had previously entered into an options agreement with Rochdale Council to purchase Hopwood Hall Estate. However, after several extensions to the agreement and the failure to submit a required business plan, the council reclaimed full control of the property. This led to Mr. DePree and the volunteers being locked out of the estate, despite having spent more than four years and thousands of hours restoring the formal gardens, which supporters say had been neglected for years under council ownership.
As a result of the lock-out, volunteers were unable to access personal belongings, donated items, and archival materials that remain inside the building. Rochdale Council advised volunteers to contact Mr. Prestwich, an employee of Rochdale Council to arrange retrieval of their possessions, subject to providing proof of ownership.
Mr. DePree reportedly advised volunteers not to pursue this option, expressing concern that doing so could be interpreted as conceding their position. Instead, he urged them to wait until the legal proceedings were concluded, suggesting they could return as volunteers if the case was resolved in his favour.
Mr. DePree has since confirmed that the volunteer group has been disbanded and is no longer active. He has indicated, however, that the group could be reformed should he succeed in regaining control of Hopwood Hall Estate.
The upcoming court hearing marks the next stage in what is expected to be a lengthy legal process. Disputes of this complexity can take months or even years to resolve, with the future of Hopwood Hall Estate remaining uncertain pending the court’s decision.
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