A Hollywood actor has lost his bid to regain ownership of a historic building he claims is his ancestral home.
Hopwood DePree had been leading the renovation of the historic Hopwood Hall, in Middleton, after it fell into disrepair.
But Rochdale Borough Council (RBC) removed consent in 2024 because they felt he had not made enough progress on the Grade II*-listed building.
The site was locked to volunteers involved in the project, with the council claiming a number of health and safety breaches had led them to close off the site.
Despite its current state, Hopwood Hall was described as being in the top 10% of most important listed buildings in England, the court heard.
Plans included a possible wedding venue or hotel accommodation, to “bring it back to life” with Mr DePree claiming this would entitle him to an option to own the property.
The American, described as an actor and director, believed he had a “legally binding agreement to purchase Hopwood Hall” and took the council to court ownership of the building and plans to renovate.
But, after a two-day hearing at the High Court in Manchester, a judge ruled in the council’s favour.
Hopwood DePree says he has invested in the Hall’s renovation Credit: ITV News
In court documents, Mr DePree claimed that Rochdale Borough Council “seemed to desperately want rid of” the hall, which had fallen into dereliction since the council took ownership in the late 1980s.
This led to an agreement in July 2017 whereby Mr DePree could buy the property for £1 as long as he got planning permission.
He said this was granted in October 2022 for the hall to be used for “events, hospitality, tours, education, cafe and shop”.
But the actor said that in November 2025, RBC locked him and his team of volunteers out of the building and has since refused to transfer ownership of the property.
Following the ruling, Mr DePree said: “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.
“However please know that my team and I are already determining our legal options and next steps.
“We will be watching closely to keep an eye on Rochdale Borough Council’s efforts to save Hopwood Hall for the community, and restore it to its former glory.”
A council spokesperson said: “We are pleased with today’s judgement. It’s a shame that we had to endure a costly court battle to get to this point, as the time and money invested into this process could have been better spent on the hall itself.“
“We’re now focussed on moving forward. More than £1.6m has been spent on the hall by ourselves and Historic England since 2017 and we will continue to invest in vital repairs to this historic building.”
“Feasibility studies have already been completed and options for Hopwood Hall’s long-term future will be considered in due course.”
“One thing we are clear on is, whatever the future holds for Hopwood Hall, this building, once restored and refurbished, will be used for the benefit of the wider community of Middleton who rightly cherish it as an important part of Middleton’s rich and varied heritage.”