Study to Explore Community Use Options for Historic Hall

A forthcoming study aims to develop potential uses for a Grade II-listed hall, focusing on how it can be reactivated for the benefit of the community. This initiative follows the conclusion of an exclusivity agreement between Rochdale Council and US actor Hopwood DePree, whose ancestors once resided at Hopwood Hall in Middleton. The council plans to allocate £100,000 for the feasibility study and an additional £600,000 for roof repairs, scheduled for spring 2025. According to the council, the structure is considered “very important,” and the study is intended to “explore all options for its future.” Negotiations are currently underway between the council and partners, including Historic England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, as restoration efforts continue. Councillor Danny Meredith, the cabinet member for regeneration at Rochdale Borough Council, stated: “As owners of a building which means so much to our residents, we have a duty to explore all options and we’ve not been able to do this under the terms of the recently lapsed agreement.” In 2017, Hopwood DePree relocated from Los Angeles to Rochdale after discovering that the Grade II-listed building had been in his family for approximately 400 years. Seven years later, when the exclusivity agreement was not renewed, Mr. DePree claimed that Rochdale Council had “pulled the rug from under him.” The council, however, asserted that Mr. DePree did not possess a “viable” plan for the building’s future. The country house features 60 rooms, some of which have significant portions of their floor and ceiling missing. Since 2017, approximately £1.7 million in grants from the council and heritage organizations like Historic England have been invested in repairs and renovations. The feasibility study is slated for commissioning in 2025, and the council is actively seeking a specialist contractor to perform the roof repairs.