Geraint Wheatley and Piers Riley-Smith have successfully appeared in a two-day trial at the High Court concerning a Hollywood star’s ancestral home in Rochdale.
The case concerned the Grade II* listed Hopwood Hall in Middleton which was the subject of an Option Agreement between Rochdale Council and Hopwood Hall Estates Ltd, a limited company formed by Hopwood DePree – a Hollywood star whose ancestors were connected to the Hall.
The Option Agreement had allowed Mr DePree to buy the Hall for £1 if he obtained planning permission to reinstate and refurbish the Property to a standard fit for habitation. Mr DePree considered he had obtained such a planning permission to trigger the Option. Rochdale Council considered he had not and that the Option had expired without being triggered.
Hopwood Hall Estates Ltd issued a claim in the High Court seeking a declaration in their favour.
Geraint & Piers were instructed by the Council jointly because of the interrelated property and planning law issues. They were successful in establishing that the only planning permission acquired was not one which reinstated and refurbished the Hall to the necessary standard. It instead was only for a change of use of a small part of the Hall.
The High Court ordered the declarations sought by the Council that the Option was not validly exercised.
The dispute provides an excellent example of Kings Chambers’ ability to seamlessly handle cases across a range of differing legal disciplines, in this case property and planning in the context of development agreements.
News coverage of the case can be found here:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq7702p0pkv5o
https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/40525050/filmmaker-battles-council-over-mansion-lockout
Geraint and Piers were instructed by James Burt of Capsticks LLP on behalf of Rochdale Council.
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